National League Game Summary - San Diego at Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - The Los Angeles Dodgers didn't light up the scoreboard, but they did just enough to snap a losing streak and a lengthy scoreless drought.
Joc Pederson's eighth-inning home run lifted the Dodgers to a 2-1 win over the San Diego Padres in the opener of a three-game set on Friday night.
"I just tried to get a good pitch to hit. I just tried to help the team win," Pederson said.
Los Angeles, which was held without a run in losing three straight in San Francisco, ended a 35-inning drought with Andre Ethier's double in the fifth.
Chris Hatcher (1-3) got the win in relief of Zack Greinke, who allowed one run and six hits with five strikeouts over 7 2/3 innings.
"Zack dominated the game. He attacked," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said.
Padres starter Andrew Cashner allowed one unearned run in six innings on the hill.
"My fastball was working," Cashner said. "What makes me good is locating my fastball. There is no room for error facing Greinke."
Los Angeles broke through for its first run in nearly four games in the fifth. Justin Turner singled to center where Will Venable booted the ball and allowed Turner to advance. Ethier followed with a double down the right-field line to end the drought.
Greinke worked around a one-out double by Yangervis Solarte in the sixth, but he could not make it through the seventh unscathed.
Derek Norris hit a ground-rule double to left after Justin Upton lined out on a scalding shot to third. Venable then poked a single to center that tied the game at 1-1.
Greinke looked to get through the eighth, but Cory Spangenberg singled and Matt Kemp walked to end his night with two outs in the frame. Hatcher needed just one pitch to keep the game tied, getting Upton on a line drive to right.
Pederson golfed an 0-2 fastball from Joaquin Benoit (4-2) to right that gave the Dodgers the lead in the home half.
Kenley Jansen took the mound in the ninth and needed just 12 pitches to polish off his second save of the season. Jansen struck out the final two batters he faced to close it out.