Kershaw, Dodgers Handle Business, Send Padres To 6th Straight Loss

At least they scored four runs tonight. The problem? The Padres pitching, led by Odrisamer Despaigne, who is well short of a road warrior, allowed the Dodgers’ hitters to run roughshod over the team, and it was over quickly Monday night at Chavez Ravine. A run in the top of the 4th inning cut the Padres’ deficit in half, but in the bottom half of the frame, the Boys in Blue basically put the game out of reach.

Hanley Ramirez (4-for-5), Carl Crawford (3-for-4), and Juan Uribe (2-for-4) did all the damage, and aside from some poor defense, Clayton Kershaw was back to his usual self, and he cruised through 8 innings, allowing only three runs (1 earned), and struck out 8. The final? 9-4 Dodgers. The Padres have now lost 6 in a row, and Despaigne was tossing BP to the first place Dodgers’ hitters. Coming into the series opener, the rookie Cuban right-hander, had a career mark away from Petco of 1-4, with an ERA of almost 4.50.

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He lived up to those numbers, only making it 4 1/3 innings, and allowed 6 earned runs, walking 3 and striking out 3. The bullpen allowed a pair of runs as well. The Padres pitching staff is beginning to show the signs of fatigue, after a season of carrying a lineup that averages less than 4 runs per game, and continues to go ice cold after a handful of solid weeks following the All-Star Game in Minnesota. The Padres secured their four runs on exactly four hits, by four different hitters. They left 7 on base, and struck out 10 times.

Luckily for the Padres, Andrew Cashner takes the hill for Tuesday’s tilt, as he hopes to end their six-game skid. If the Friars can get any offense going at all against the artist formerly known as Fausto Carmona (Roberto Hernandez), they can even the series at a game apiece. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. PDT from Dodger Stadium.

Keep the Faith.