Los Angeles, CA – Carlos Quentin hit a go-ahead, seventh- inning sacrifice fly on Wednesday and the San Diego Padres downed the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-3, in the rubber match of a three-game series.
Chase Headley, the NL Player of the Month for August, went 2-for-5 with an RBI double.
Will Venable scored a pair of runs, including the game-winner, for the Padres, who won for the 12th time in 16 tries.
Clayton Richard entered Wednesday with a three-start winning streak but received a no-decision after allowing three runs on 10 hits over 4 2/3 frames. Nick Vincent (2-0) tossed 1 1/3 scoreless frames of relief to secure the win.
Tommy Layne entered with two down and a runner of first in the ninth and retired Adrian Gonzalez on a sharp grounder to record his second save of the season.
Gonzalez, Hanley Ramirez and Luis Cruz had an RBI apiece for the Dodgers, who trail the NL West-leading Giants by 4 1/2 games.
The teams will open a three-game set in San Francisco on Friday.
Aaron Harang gave up three runs -- two earned -- on seven hits over a five-inning start and Shawn Tolleson (1-1) allowed Quentin's sac fly to take the loss.
The Padres opened the game with a single, a walk and a double by Headley, which scored Everth Cabrera. Venable also scored on the play courtesy of a throwing error by Ramirez and Yasmani Grandal followed with an RBI single two batters later for a 3-0 lead.
The Dodgers, who have dropped seven of 11, opened the second inning with three straight singles -- capped by Cruz's RBI grounder up the middle. Richard then escaped when A.J. Ellis popped out and Harang bunted into a double play.
Singles by Mark Ellis, Shane Victorino and Gonzalez started the third and made it 3-2, but again Richard limited the damage.
Victorino was thrown out at home on Matt Kemp's grounder and after an intentional walk to Ramirez, Richard retired Andre Ethier and Cruz to escape.
The Dodgers tied it in the fifth when Victorino singled, moved to third on a base hit by Gonzalez and a groundout by Kemp, then crossed the plate on Ramirez's line drive to left.
"The offense got us back in the game but we couldn't get over the hump," said Dodgers manager Don Mattingly.
Venable led off the seventh with a walk, stole second and moved to third on Headley's base hit before scoring on Quentin's fly to center.
In the bottom half, Kemp lifted a deep fly ball to center, but Cameron Maybin extended above the wall and snared the potential game-tying home run.
"I had a good read on it off the bat," said Maybin. "It ended up saving the game. It was a big play. The defense never sleeps."
Game Notes
The Padres split a six-game road trip ... Earlier Wednesday, the Padres signed Chris Denorfia to a contract extension, which will keep the outfielder with the team through the 2014 season ... The Dodgers concluded a seven-game homestand at 3-4 ... Los Angeles leads the season-series, 9-6.
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