Padres 10, Dodgers 7
SAN DIEGO -- Jedd Gyorko hit a two-run homer off right-handed reliever Jim Johnson in the bottom of the eighth Thursday night to power the San Diego Padres to a come-from behind, 10-7 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park.
Left fielder Justin Upton drew a walk to lead off the eighth to bring up Gyorko, who was making his eighth start at shortstop. Gyorko's 387-foot drive into the seats in left center capped a rally that saw the Padres score in three straight innings after the Dodgers took a 7-4 lead with five runs in the top of the sixth.
The Padres added two more runs in their four-run eighth. Catcher Derek Norris singled and scored on pinch-hitter Melvin Upton Jr.'s triple to right-center. Upton scored on third baseman Yangervis Solarte's double down the line in left.
The highlight of the Dodgers sixth-inning rally was a two-run single by 21-year-old shortstop Corey Seager in his major league debut that gave the National League West leaders the lead. Seager was the Dodgers first-round pick (18th overall) in the 2012 draft. He was promoted Thursday morning from Triple-A Oklahoma City and started at shortstop.
The Padres scored a run in the bottom of the sixth on a double by Norris and pulled to within a run in the seventh on Solarte's 407-foot homer onto the third balcony of the Western Metal Supply Co. building in left. It was just the 14th homer in the 13-year history of Petco Park to land on the third balcony.
Right-handed reliever Kevin Quackenbush (3-2) picked up the win for the Padres with Jaoquin Benoit getting his second save. Johnson (2-6) suffered the loss as the Dodgers lost for only the second time in their last 10 games.
Down 4-0 early, the Dodgers scored twice against Padres rookie right-handed starter Colin Rea in the fifth and five times in the sixth against the Padres' bullpen.
Right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne started the sixth for the Padres and gave up back-to-back singles to third baseman Justin Turner and left fielder Carl Crawford ahead of bases-loading walk to catcher Yasmani Grandal.
That led to the Padres bring in left-hander Marc Rzepczynski.
Turner scored to cut the Padres lead to 4-3 on right fielder Scott Van Slyke's ground out to third baseman Yangervis Solarte on the infield grass.
That brought up Seager, who lined a single to center to score Crawford and Grandal and advanced to second on the throw to the plate. Seager scored on pinch-hitter Sam Ruggiano's single to make it 6-4.
With two out, second baseman Chase Utley topped a ball back toward Rzepczynski, who threw wild to first for an error that allowed Ruggiano to score the fifth run of the inning.
The hosts jumped on right-handed Dodgers starter and ex-Padre Mat Latos for two runs in each of the first two innings on a chain of two-out hits.
Solarte opened the game with a double, was sacrificed to third and scored on Justin Upton's two-out double. The RBI was the 18th of the season by the Padres left fielder against the Dodgers, the highest total this season by a National League player against another team.
Upton scored on shortstop Jedd Gyorko's single to left.
Catcher Derek Norris opened the second with a single. As in the first, the next two Padres made outs before Solarte, second baseman Cory Spangenberg and right fielder Matt Kemp produced three straight singles for two runs. Kemp's two-run, bases-loaded single extended his career-best streak of reaching base to 23 straight games.
Meanwhile, Rea sailed through the first four scoreless innings allowing one hit - a lead-off double by Crawford in the second.
But the Dodgers broke through for two runs in the top of the fifth as Rea survived a scary moment.
With one out, Seager got his first major league hit in his second plate appearance with a double to right. Rea was one out away from extending his shutout to five innings when Dodger center fielder Joc Pederson hit a line drive back to the mound that struck Rea on the left shoulder and ricocheted toward the first-base foul line for an infield single that scored Seager from third.
Pederson scored on Utley's double to right- center to make it 4-2.
NOTES: The Dodgers promoted top prospect SS Corey Seager from Triple-A Oklahoma City and immediately gave him a start against the Padres at shortstop to give Jimmy Rollins a day off. Seager is scheduled to start at third base Friday night and Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said most of his playing time this month will come at third. ... To create an opening on the 40-man roster for Seager, the Dodgers designated INF Andy Wilkins for assignment. ... The Dodgers also promoted RHP Yimi Garcia from Oklahoma City, increasing the number of players on the active roster to 33. ... Padres' RHP Josh Johnson will make a rehab assignment with high Class A Lake Elsinore on Friday. It will be Johnson's first game action since he signed with the Padres in November of 2013. The former National League All-Star with the Marlins had his second round of Tommy John surgery in April of 2014. ... LHP Frank Garces was promoted Friday for a fourth stint with the Padres this season from Triple-A El Paso.