San Diego, CA (Sports Network) - Clayton Kershaw strengthened his bid to win the National League Cy Young Award on Sunday as he pitched 7 1/3 strong innings, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 6-2 win over the San Diego Padres in the finale of a three-game set from Petco Park.
Kershaw (21-5) gave up two runs and scattered four hits to earn the win. He fanned six and issued only one walk. Javy Guerra closed out the Padres in the ninth to seal the win.
Rod Barajas smoked a two-run homer, Matt Kemp roped an RBI double and Aaron Miles collected two RBI for the Dodgers, who have won three of their last four.
Aaron Cunningham cracked a solo home run and Alberto Gonzalez had an RBI triple for San Diego, which lost two games in the series.
Corey Luebke (6-10) gave up four runs -- three earned -- on five hits over six innings of work.
The Dodgers opened the scoring in their first at-bat when Jamey Carroll drew a one-out walk and Kemp brought him home with a double to center. Miles then singled home Kemp for a 2-0 lead.
Los Angeles added two more runs in the fifth to expand the lead to 4-0. Carroll walked and Kemp reached on an error by Gonzalez. Juan Rivera knocked in Carroll with a single to left and Kemp scored on a fielder's choice by Miles.
San Diego got on the board in the home half of the inning thanks to a solo- shot from Cunningham to make it 4-1, but the Dodgers came right back with a pair of runs in the eighth courtesy of a two-run homer by Barajas to give Los Angeles a 6-1 advantage.
The Padres pulled a run back in the home half of the eighth when Orlando Hudson ripped a double and came around to score on a triple by Gonzalez to account for the final margin.
Game Notes
With the victory, the Dodgers have won nine of their last 10 series...Kershaw is 3-0 with two complete games against the Padres this season...Los Angeles took the season series with San Diego, 13-5.
For a detailed look at several statistics in play for Clayton Kershaw in Sunday's game, be sure to read True Blue LA,