San Diego, CA (Betting Express) - Cory Luebke pitched six shutout innings to
earn his first major league win, and the San Diego Padres swept a three-game
series from the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 4-0 victory.
Luebke (1-1) made just his second career appearance and allowed two hits and a
walk while fanning seven for the Padres, who stretched their division lead to
two games over the Giants. San Francisco, which San Diego plays for four games
starting Thursday, lost to Arizona on Wednesday.
Luis Durango had two hits, a stolen base and two RBI, while Adrian Gonzalez
and Miguel Tejada each drove in a run in the win, San Diego's third straight
following a 10-game losing streak.
"The baseball season is long. There are ebbs and flows. We hit a bump in the
road, but our guys showed resolve and came back and have played sound baseball
the last three games," said San Diego manager Bud Black.
Matt Kemp doubled for the Dodgers, losers in five straight to fall two games
below .500 (69-71). Chad Billingsley (11-9) surrendered four runs, six hits
and five walks in just 5 1/3 frames to take the loss.
"(Billingsley) certainly deserved a better fate, but we didn't score any
runs," said Los Angeles manager Joe Torre.
The Padres got all the offense they needed with a run in the third when
Durango singled with one out, stole second and scored on Tejada's two-out
single to center.
While Luebke shut down the Dodgers, San Diego added some insurance in the
sixth.
Will Venable singled leading off, and Everth Cabrera put down a bunt single.
David Eckstein reached on a sacrifice bunt attempt, loading the bases with
nobody out, and Durango's single chased home Venable and Cabrera for a 3-0
lead.
Gonzalez added a sacrifice fly later in the inning for a four-run cushion.
Luebke allowed just one runner to reach third in his start, and Ryan Webb
pitched a perfect seventh. Ernesto Frieri, Joe Thatcher and Luke Gregerson
combined on a scoreless eighth, and Gregerson stayed on to finish the game out
with a flawless ninth for his second save.
Game Notes
San Diego leads the season series, 8-7...Padres catcher Nick Hundley turned 27
on Wednesday. He did not play...Gonzalez extended his hit streak to 11
games...The Dodgers matched their season-worst losing streak...Billingsley
fell to 10-6 in his career against the Padres...When San Diego records a
stolen base, it is 51-13.
