Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - On a night when the Dodgers got their big
guns back into the lineup, it was another, rather unexpected, Dodger who
played the role of hero on Friday.
Prior to the game, Los Angeles activated Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier from the
15-day disabled list, but it was Mark Ellis' sixth inning home run that
pushed the Dodgers to a 2-1 victory over the San Diego Padres in the opener of
a three-game series at Chavez Ravine.
Kemp notched two hits in his return after missing 51 of the Dodgers' previous
53 games due to a lingering hamstring injury. Ethier had been on the shelf
since June 28 due to a left oblique strain and went 0-for-2 in the victory
for Los Angeles, which snapped a three-game skid.
Clayton Kershaw (7-5) allowed one run on six hits and three walks with six
strikeouts over six solid innings to collect the win. Javy Guerra and Ronald
Belisario contributed scoreless relief innings before Kenley Jansen slammed
the door in the ninth to earn his 16th save of the season.
Clayton Richard (6-10) pitched well in defeat, allowing two runs on five hits
with no walks over 7 1/3 innings. Everth Cabrera accounted for the lone run
with an RBI groundout for the Padres, who have dropped four straight games.
GAME NOTES:
The Sports Network