Randy Wolf shuts down Dodgers
Randy Wolf combined with two relievers on a five-hitter, and rookie Edgar Gonzalez and Khalil Greene each hit solo homers to lead the San Diego Padres to a 4-1 win over the Dodgers tonight.
Wolf (5-4) had his fifth straight outing where he gave up two runs or fewer, giving up four hits in seven innings.
Gonzalez, the older brother of Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, homered in the first inning off Chad Billingsley for the first home run of his major league career. A career minor leaguer who made his major league debut May 12, Gonzalez turns 30 on Saturday.
Greene connected on a 1-and-1 pitch with two outs in the second to put San Diego ahead, 2-0.
The win gave the Padres their fifth win in six games.
Heath Bell pitched a perfect eighth inning and Trevor Hoffman threw the ninth for his 15th save in 18 chances and career save No. 539.
Bell came back one game after he gave up Russell Martin's bases-loaded single in the eighth inning Tuesday night that put the Dodgers ahead to stay en route to a 7-2 win.
With starting pitchers Jake Peavy, Chris Young and Shawn Estes sidelined with injuries, Wolf and 42-year-old Greg Maddux have been counted on heavily.
The left-handed Wolf has delivered, winning his third straight decision in his last five starts. During that span, Wolf has a 1.90 ERA and the Padres have won four of five starts -- the only loss coming 4-3 in 10 innings on Sunday at San Francisco, when Wolf gave up one run on four hits in six innings.
Billingsley (4-7) gave up four runs on eight hits over seven innings.
The Dodgers reached Wolf for their only run on Andy LaRoche's homer, his first, in the fourth inning that cut the San Diego lead to 3-1. LaRoche was playing his first game since being recalled by the Dodgers on Tuesday from triple-A Las Vegas.
Wolf tied his season high with nine strikeouts and walked one batter.
Wolf helped his own cause in the third with a leadoff single. After Edgar Gonzalez singled him to second with one out, Adrian Gonzalez drove him in with a single to right for a 3-0 lead.
Jody Gerut added the Padres' final run with an RBI single in the seventh that scored Greene, who led off with a double and was sacrificed to third.
