San Diego Padres interim manager Pat Murphy looks on from the dugout before the Padres play the Oakland Athletics in a baseball game Tuesday, June 16, 2015, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The San Diego Padres had barely completed their fifth consecutive losing season when they ousted interim manager Pat Murphy.
Travis Jankowski hit a three-run homer in a 6-3 loss to the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday that was the Padres' fifth defeat in their final six games. They finished 74-88, including a 35-46 road mark.
"Disappointing is a good word," second baseman Jedd Gyorko said. "It takes years for teams to really jell and work together, but it's something we're going to keep working on moving forward. We have the right pieces and enough good guys in here to win, and we're capable of doing it."
They just won't be moving forward with Murphy.
He took over in mid-June after Bud Black was fired. San Diego was 42-53 under Murphy and finished fourth in the division -- 23 games behind the Dodgers. Murphy had been guiding the Padres' Triple-A team in El Paso when he was promoted.
"All in all, I think for me personally it was a great experience," he said before his fate was announced. "So I'm very grateful and I'm looking forward to the future."
The Padres were also in fourth place when Murphy took over.
"It was a tough situation for anyone to be thrown into," Gyorko said. "It would be hard for anyone to come in like that. I don't know if anyone would have been better."
San Diego has not finished with a winning record since 2010 and has not reached the postseason since 2006.
"We had some goals that we set at the All-Star break and I think we lived up to them," center fielder Melvin Upton Jr. said. "We just want to take all the positives out of this year and carry them over into next season."
The Padres were 5-14 against the Dodgers this season, and got swept in the final series for the first time since Aug. 30-Sept. 1, 2013.
San Diego's Frank Garces (0-1) gave up two runs and two hits in two innings of his first major league start. The left-hander, who pitched in 40 games this season, struck out two and walked one as the Padres used their finale to check out their relievers for next season.
Clayton Kershaw struck out seven in an abbreviated start to become the first pitcher in 13 years to reach 300 strikeouts for the Dodgers, who won their sixth in a row against the Padres.
Kershaw finished with 301 strikeouts and joined former Arizona teammates Randy Johnson (2000-02) and Curt Schilling (2002) as the only pitchers since 2000 to reach 300 strikeouts in a season. Kershaw became the second to do so in Dodgers history; his mentor Sandy Koufax accomplished the feat three times in the mid-1960s.
Kershaw allowed two hits and no walks on 60 pitches over 3 2/3 scoreless innings. The left-hander completed his final tune-up before the Dodgers open the NL Division Series against the New York Mets at home Friday.
Kershaw didn't waste any time going after the mark. He struck out Upton to start the game, one of two strikeouts he notched in each of the first three innings. He reached 300 on a swinging strikeout of Upton to end the third, earning a standing ovation.
Joc Pederson hit a two-run homer in the second inning to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead. Corey Seager added a solo shot on the first pitch by Jon Edwards leading off the sixth and then with two outs, pinch-hitter Chris Heisey had a two-run homer for a 5-0 lead.
Joel Peralta (3-1) won with one inning of relief, and Chris Hatcher pitched the ninth for his fourth save in six chances. Closer Kenley Jansen served as pitching coach for the day.
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