Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Clayton Richard threw the first shutout of his career as he helped the San Diego Padres take a 6-0 win over the Los Angeles in the opener of a three-game set.
The win helped San Diego keep pace with San Francisco in the chase for the NL West. The Padres remained a half-game back of the Giants, who took a 1-0 win over the Cubs on Tuesday.
Richard (13-8) scattered eight hits and two walks while striking out six to stop a three-decision slide. Ryan Ludwick drove in four runs in the win.
Chad Billingsley (11-11) was tagged for five runs on six hits with three walks and six strikeouts over five innings of work for the Dodgers, who have lost five of six. Jamey Carroll and A.J. Ellis each had two hits in the loss.
With no score in the third, the Padres jumped ahead. With one out, David Eckstein walked, but was forced out at second on a fielder's choice by Miguel Tejada. After Adrian Gonzalez doubled, Ludwick punched a single to left to score both runners for a 2-0 lead.
San Diego padded its lead in the fifth. With the bases loaded and one out, Ludwick was hit by a pitch to force home one. Yorvit Torrealba followed with a sacrifice fly that plated Eckstein before Chase Headley's RBI single made it a 5-0 game.
Los Angeles got leadoff singles in the fifth and sixth, but failed to move the runners to second base.
Richard worked a 1-2-3 eighth and San Diego added a run in the ninth on Ludwick's RBI fielder's choice.
Richard gave up back-to-back one-out singles to Casey Blake and James Loney in the ninth, but then induced a double play from Reed Johnson to end the game.
Richard had one career complete game coming into the contest...San Diego has taken nine of the 16 games with Los Angeles this season...Los Angeles went 0- for-5 with runners in scoring position and stranded seven.