Dodgers 6, Padres 2
LOS ANGELES -- A five-run outburst in the third inning boosted the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 6-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Friday night before 45,564 at Dodger Stadium.
Third baseman Justin Turner drove in two runs each as the Dodgers (90-70) took a one-half game lead over the New York Mets for the No. 2 seed in the National League Division Series. The Mets (89-70), who were rained out Friday, will play a doubleheader against the Washington Nationals on Saturday.
It was the third consecutive season Los Angeles has reached the 90-win plateau.
Dodgers starter Alex Wood bounced back from an awful outing against the Colorado Rockies last weekend by limiting the Padres (74-86) to two runs on five hits with four strikeouts and a walk in seven innings. Wood (12-12) won two of his three career starts against San Diego.
Wood blanked the Padres for six innings before allowing an RBI groundout to left fielder Alexi Amarista and a sacrifice fly to first baseman Cody Decker in the seventh inning.
San Diego's Casey Kelly (0-2) lasted just 4 1/3 innings, giving up six runs (three earned) on eight hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Kelly, who missed the entire 2013 season and much of the 2014 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery, started for only the second time this season.
Dodgers left fielder Carl Crawford and second baseman Howie Kendrick reached on back-to-back singles with one out in the third. Crawford scored on first baseman Adrian Gonzalez's RBI single and Kendrick came home on a fielder's choice for a 2-0 Los Angeles' lead.
Shortstop Corey Seager's two-run single increased the margin to 4-0 before catcher A.J. Ellis' RBI single capped the five-run surge.
The Dodgers added a run in the fifth when Turner lined a base hit over the head of Padres center fielder Melvin Upton Jr. to score Kendrick for a 6-0 cushion.
NOTES: Dodgers manager Don Mattingly refused to name his starting shortstop for the National League Division Series, meaning the club is considering rookie SS Corey Seager over veteran SS Jimmy Rollins. ... Whether interim manager Pat Murphy returns next season is up to the Padres. Murphy had a 42-51 record before Friday's game since taking over June 16 for Bud Black, who was fired. ... Former Dodger Maury Wills celebrated his 83rd birthday. ... Nancy Bea Hefley, the Dodgers' organist since 1988, announced her retirement, effective at season's end. ... Padres LHP Robbie Erlin (1-1, 6.30 ERA) will face Dodgers RHP Zack Greinke (18-3, 1.68 ERA) on Saturday.