The Padres avoided a sweep yet again by winning the final game of a series for the fourth straight time since sweeping the Marlins July 19^th – 21^st. The win broke their five-game losing streak to the Dodgers and kept them within three games of fourth place currently occupied by their southern California rivals.  The Padres will take a day off on Thursday before travelling to Pittsburgh for a weekend series starting Friday. Below is a three game recap of this week’s series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

August 1^st, 2010 Dodgers 6, Padres 2

WP Clayton Kershaw (13-4) 9IP 6H 2R 2ER 2BB 4K 1HR

LP Corey Luebke (3-6) 7.1 IP 10H 5R 5ER 0BB 3K 0HR

The Padres jumped ahead to a early lead off young hurler Clayton Kershaw, but it lasted all of a half inning before the Dodgers scored four unanswered runs en route to a 6-2 Los Angeles victory Monday night.

Kershaw went all nine innings, allowing only two runs on six hits. He walked only two, the first being Cam Maybin , the Padres leadoff hitter in the first inning. Two groundouts later with a runner on third, Jesus Guzman singled to shallow center field to put the Friars up 1-0.

Cory Luebke gave up a game-tying sacrifice fly to James Loney with one out and runners on the corners in the top of the second.

Matt Kemp led off the fourth inning with a double and then scored the go-ahead run when Rob Barajas singled two batters later.

The Dodgers took advantage of having runners in scoring position again in the fifth, when Kershaw’s bunt single put runners on first and third with no outs.  Dee Gordon then hit a grounder to Luebke which the Padres pitcher then threw low and to Rob Johnson’s right, preventing him from applying the tag to the sliding Jamey Carroll in time. Luebke then threw a wild pitch allowing both runners to move into scoring position and removing the force.

Casey Blake then hit a fly deep to left center that was tracked down by Maybin, but allowed both runners to advance, scoring Kershaw and putting Gordon at third with one out. Andre Eithier then hit a rocket to Luebke that he snagged and then threw to Chase Headley to double-up Gordon and escape the inning, down 4-1.

Orlando Hudson knocked one into the Padres bullpen to cut the lead to two.

But the Dodgers answered back the next inning when Matt Kemp tripled in Andre Eithier from first for their fifth run. Kemp then scored on Juan Rivera’s sac fly to put the Dodgers ahead, 6-2, a lead they kept for the remainder of the game.

August 2^nd, 2010 Dodgers 1, Padres 0

WP Hiroki Kuroda (7-13) 7IP 4H 0R 0ER 2BB 8K 0HR

LP Mat Latos (5-11) 7IP 6H 1R 1ER 0BB 6K 0HR

S Javy Guerra (9) 1IP 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 1K 0HR

Mat Latos might have pitched his best game of the season, allowing only one run on four hits while walking none over seven innings.

Mat Kemp flashed with the bat and the glove, knocking the Dodgers only run while also thwarting a late Padres rally with a extra-base robbing tumbling-catch in the bottom of the ninth.

Hideki Kuroda and two relievers combined for a six hit shutout, three to just recalled rookie Blake Tekotte, while walking only two.

After giving up a leadoff single to Dee Gordon, Latos mowed throught the Dodger lineup, retiring the next eight batters before Gordon led off the top of the fourth with a bunt single. Latos induced groundouts from the next two batters, but Gordon advanced base on each play. Matt Kemp then lined Latos’s first pitch into left field, scoring Gordon for what was ultimately the only run of the game.

The Padres missed an opportunity on the seventh to tie the game after Tekotte hit a one-out single and then stole second on Kyle Blanks strikeout. But Dodger manager Don Mattingly chose to walk pinch-hitter Will Venable, forcing Bud Black to pinch-hit for Latos with Logan Forsythe. Forsythe struck out looking to end the inning.

The Padres also got two one-out singles by Jason Bartlett and Chase Headley before Jesus Guzman flied out to right. Orlando Hudson then grounded out to second, ending the inning with two more runners left on base.

August 3^rd, 2010 Padres 3, Dodgers 0

Tim Stauffer (7-8) 6.1IP 6H 0R 0ER 1BB 2K 0HR

Ted Lilly (7-11) 6IP 4H 1R 1ER 1BB 7K 1HR

H. Bell (31) 1IP 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 1K 0HR

Tim Stauffer earned his career high seventh victory and combined with three Padres relievers to shut out the Dodgers, 3-0 on Wednesday night in Petco Park.

Stauffer held the Dodgers scoreless through six innings, allowing only four hits. The Padres finally gave him some run support in the bottom of the sixth when Jason Bartlett hit one into the second row of the left field stands to lead off the inning.

Stauffer then gave up a single to Dioner Navarro before Tony Gwynn Jr. reached on a bunt single of his own. Jamey Carroll sacrificed both runners over to bring up James Loney with runners on seond and third with one out.  Don Mattingly then pulled Loney in favor of Casey Blake, whom Bud Black chose to walk intentionally after bringing in reliever Josh Spence.

Spence then threw a slider that was lined at him which he snagged for the second out. Spence might have had a chance to double up Blake at first had he not had to check the runners at third and second prior.

Spence then took Aaron Miles to a full count after being up 0-2. Miles then fouled off two pitches before Spence snuck a slider in on him for a called strike three, ending the Dodgers best chance to score.

Aaron Cunningham tripled to right field to lead off the seventh. After Kyle Blanks grounded out to short, Cunningham scored on Dee Gordons fielding error of the bat of Luis Martinez to put the Padres ahead 2-0.

Jason Bartlett led off the eighth with a single before stealing second base for his 22^nd steal this season. Chase Headley drew a walk before Jesus Guzman ripped a single to left field to put the Padres up 3-0.

Heath Bell came in to attempt his 31^st save of the season. He first got Navarro to pop up to Headley on his eighth pitch of the at-bat for the first out. He then dropped a curve in on the just inside the top part of the strike zone on Gwynn with a full count for the second out. Jamey Carroll then hit a grounder down the first base line that was scooped up by Kyle Blanks and tossed to Bell for the third out, ending the game with a Padres win.