Chad Billingsley shut the Padres out through four, but gave up two in the fifth after walking the first three batters to tie the game up. He got through the sixth and was pulled after six when the Dodgers pulled ahead in the seventh. Billingsley picked up the win, holding the Padres to two runs on two hits with four K’s. Cory Wade and Hong-Chih Kuo each tossed a shutout inning before Broxton picked up his second save with a perfect ninth, complete with two strikeouts.
Manny led the offense, giving the Dodgers a quick 1-0 lead with an RBI groundout in the first to score Rafael Furcal, who had doubled. Casey Blake then made it 2-0 with a solo shot in the second. The Padres tied it up in the fifth but the Dodgers pulled ahead for good in the seventh, including the go-ahead, two-run double by Manny. Furcal, Orlando Hudson, and James Loney each had two hits apiece.
With the win, the Dodgers have avoided a series’ loss, but Clayton Kershaw can give them the series win tonight. He will face Kevin Correia, who went 3-8 with a 6.05 ERA in 2008.
