|
 Kemp hit a three-run home run in the top of the eighth inning to
lead the Padres to a 5-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on
Friday night in front of 49,686 at Dodger Stadium.
Kemp added a double and scored a run to finish 2-for-4 with three
RBIs, and threw out a runner trying to extend a single into a
double, as the Padres broke a five-game losing streak.
"There's something in the energy," Kemp said about playing at Dodger
Stadium, where he plied his trade for the first nine seasons of his
career. "The fans are loud. People feed off of that."
Kemp added that he feeds off excelling against his former teammates.
"I think anybody would against their old team, some place where
you've been for so long," Kemp said. "But honestly, I just feel like
we needed that win as a team. That's the most important thing."
Wil Myers' 12-game hitting streak, matching a career best, ended.
Left-hander Ryan Buchter received the victory in relief, and
right-hander Carlos Villanueva registered his first save. Buchter
struck out one batter in his two-thirds of an inning and Villanueva
permitted one hit while striking out one in his only inning.
 Right-hander Cesar Vargas, who made his major league debut for the
Padres on Saturday night, pitched 5 1/3 shutout innings in his
second start. Vargas allowed four hits, three walks and a hit
batter, collected six strikeouts and induced six groundouts while
throwing 90 pitches.
"I learned a little bit from my last start," Vargas said in Spanish.
"I tried to remain focused and think about pitching the same way as
before. I tried to be more patient and not get ahead of myself, and
I'm very happy with the result."
Yasmani Grandal hit his first home run of the season and registered
two of the Dodgers' five hits.
Left-hander Alex Wood amassed a season-high nine strikeouts in his
seven innings while conceding just one walk, one run and five hits.
But the hosts suffered their fifth successive loss and sixth in
eight games.
In each of their five losses, the Dodgers have scored no more than
three runs in any single game.
"It's obviously a funk," Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said.
"There are a lot of empty at-bats, empty swings. I think most of
it's mental. You can tell them to relax, not chase balls and have
good at-bats. But when they step in that box, they're trying to do
too much.
"It's not from a lack of preparation or work. They've just got to
ease off the gas."
The Padres broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth against right-handed
reliever Chris Hatcher (2-3). Pinch-hitter Brett Wallace began the
inning with a walk, then pinch-runner Travis Jankowski replaced him.
"You can't walk the lead-off batter to start the inning," Roberts
said, "when you know Jankowski is in the wings to run for him."
Jon Jay followed with a ground ball that ricocheted off Hatcher's
glove past third baseman Justin Turner and into short left field.
Jankowski took third base on Jay's single.
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Kemp then propelled Hatcher's 88 mph splitter on an 0-2 count into
the Dodgers' bullpen down the left-field line for his seventh home
run of the season.
San Diego extended its lead in the ninth against Los Angeles closer
Kenley Jansen. Adam Rosales hit a leadoff double to left, took third
base on Jemile Weeks' sacrifice and scored on Jankowski's bunt
single.
The Dodgers had a chance to move ahead in the bottom of the third
after Corey Seager lined a leadoff double into right-center field.
But Vargas struck out Turner and Adrian Gonzalez, then induced a pop
out from Yasiel Puig to defuse the threat.
The Padres responded by taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth.
Kemp doubled off the center-field wall with one out, then scored
when Melvin Upton Jr. lined a single just past second baseman Chase
Utley's out-stretched glove and into center field.
Kemp began the bottom of the fourth by using his defense to
frustrate his former teammates. Grandal began the inning by lining a
single off the right-field scoreboard. But Kemp retrieved the ball
and threw out Grandal, who tried to stretch his hit into a double.
Nevertheless, the Dodgers put the potential tying run in scoring
position in that inning with two out, when Joc Pederson hit a slow
roller down the third-base line for a single and Wood walked. But
Vargas struck out Utley to end the inning.
Grandal succeeded in scoring the tying run when he hit his first
home run of the season in the bottom of the sixth. On a 3-1 pitch
from reliever Brad Hand, Grandal pounded a 92 mph fastball into the
bleachers down the left-field line.
Grandal was the first batter Hand faced after relieving Vargas.
NOTES: Los Angeles won nine consecutive games against San Diego
going into Friday night's game. ... Dodgers 3B Justin Turner
re-entered the line-up after getting a day off to rest his left
knee, which underwent offseason microfracture surgery. ... The
Padres' starting pitchers have compiled a 3.12 earned-run average in
the past 15 games and amassed 76 strikeouts compared to 37 walks
going into Friday night.
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