Ryu Dominates Padres, 4-Run Eighth Inning Helps Dodgers Avoid Sweep

The Dodgers were finally able to bust out of their recent offensive malaise with a commanding 7-1 win over San Diego to avoid a sweep at Petco Park on Sunday afternoon. The win also kept the club 2.5 games ahead of the Giants who won again and are starting to put a lot of pressure on the Dodgers.

The return of left hander Hyun-jin Ryu from the disabled list and Juan Uribe sparked the Dodgers to victory. Ryu was activated and hadn’t pitched since August 15 with a strained glute. Ryu sparkled in his return. The left hander who normally dominates the Padres (0.69 ERA versus San Diego) threw seven efficient frames, allowing one earned run on four hits, with seven whiffs and no walks. The win gives Ryu his fourteenth of the season, to improve to 14-6.

Dodgers   7 12 0

Padres      1 4 0

WP-Ryu-14-6

LP-Stults-6-15

Safe!-Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Uribe Collected two hits, and drove in two, but the offensive star of the game was Adrian Gonzalez. The veteran first baseman went 4 for 5 with four singles,  to lead the seven runs on 12 hit offensive attack.

The game was beginning to look like the typical low-scoring frustrating game that has dominated this series. The Dodgers were able to score a run in the top of the first against former Dodger Eric Stults, but wouldn’t score again until the top of the fifth.

Yasiel Puig reached on a sun pop-fly double to shallow right field that dropped in front of right fielder Rymer Liriano. Puig moved to third on a passed ball and then scored on Scott Van Slyke’s broken-bat bloop single. The Padres tied the score in the bottom of the first. Yangervis Solarte doubled, and after he was sacrificed to second, Yasmani Grandal’s ground ball double plated Solarte to tie the score at 1-1.

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Ryu would settle down after that and at one point retired 14 consecutive Padres. He showed no ill-effects of the strained Glute that sidelined him for the last two weeks.

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The Dodgers finally got to Stults in the top of the fifth. Hanley walked, and advanced to second on a bloop single from Gonzalez that fell between no-man’s land in shallow left field. Kemp singled up the middle to score Hanley and that put the Dodgers ahead 2-1.

The Dodgers exploded for four runs in the eighth inning to put the game away. A single from Gonzo, a double from Kemp, and a walk to pinch-hitter Carl Crawford loaded the bases. But the Dodgers didn’t have any trouble this time with the bases juiced. Uribe’s line drive single scored Gonzo. There was a wild pitch that scored Kemp. Bison made a great head first slide to avoid the tag.

Then A.J. Ellis walked, and Darwin Barney’s single Plated two runs to make the score 7-1 Dodgers. Pedro Baez pitched the final two innings to finish the game. The Dodgers win 7-1!

The Dodgers will now return home on Labor Day as rosters expand tomorrow. Joc Pederson among others are set to join the club. The Dodgers optioned Carlos Frias and Miguel Rojas to make room for Ryu and Uribe, but it’s only for a day. Both players will also rejoin the club tomorrow as well.

The Dodgers are now 77-60 and with the win remain 2.5 games ahead of the surging Giants. The Giants won again, sweeping the Brewers and beating them 15-5. This is crunch time now as we head into September.

The Dodgers will begin a nine game homestand on Monday with a three game series Against Washington. Left hander Gio Gonzalez will face Roberto Hernandez at 5:10 PM.