San Diego, CA (Sports Network) – Pinch-hitter Oscar Salazar singled home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the San Diego Padres posted a 3-2 victory over Los Angeles in the rubber match of a three-game series at Petco Park.
George Sherrill (1-2) came on to pitch the ninth for the Dodgers, and Scott Hairston greeted him with a single to left field. Tony Gwynn Jr. sacrificed the runner to second, and Salazar followed by delivering a grounder up the middle to plate the decisive run.
Salazar’s heroics made a winner out of Heath Bell (5-0), who tossed a 1-2-3 ninth.
Chase Headley and Yorvit Torrealba both knocked in a run for the NL West- leading Padres, who acquired former AL MVP Miguel Tejada from Baltimore before the game. Mat Latos earned a no-decision after giving up two runs — one earned — on two hits and three walks in five innings of work. He fanned seven.
James Loney homered for the Dodgers, while starter Vicente Padilla allowed two runs on four hits over four innings.
The Padres grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a run-scoring single by Headley, but Loney’s eighth home run of the season tied the game in the second.
San Diego regained the lead in the fourth when Headley walked to begin the inning and came home on a double by Torrealba.
Latos, though, ran into trouble in the fifth, walking two of the first three batters. Pinch-hitter Garret Anderson then singled to left field, and Jamey Carroll was able to score the tying run after Hairston misplayed the ball.
Torrealba extended his hitting streak to 12 games…San Diego improved to 32-20 at home…Adrian Gonzalez had two hits for the Padres…Los Angeles was limited to three hits in the game.