Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Adrian Gonzalez made MLB history on Wednesday, burning his former team in the process.
Gonzalez hit three solo home runs, giving him five on the season, and added an RBI single to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 7-4 win over the San Diego Padres in the rubber match of a three-game series.
Gonzalez, who homered once in each of the first two games in the series, went deep in his first three at-bats in this one. His three solo shots -- all off Padres starter Andrew Cashner (0-1) -- made him the first player in MLB history with five home runs in the first three games of a season.
"Adrian put extra work in during the offseason and it's paying off," said Dodgers manager Don Mattingly.
The Dodgers slugger, who spent five seasons in San Diego, finished the game 4- for-4. He has 10 hits in 13 at-bats on the season to go along with seven runs and seven RBI.
Brandon McCarthy (1-0) picked up his first win with Los Angeles after striking out nine in five-plus innings of work. McCarthy gave up four runs on nine hits in the 97-pitch outing.
Justin Upton's two-run homer in the first inning off McCarthy gave the Padres an early lead, but LA cut got a run back in the home half on a Gonzalez dinger and three more in the second.
McCarthy knocked in a run by drawing a bases-loaded walk. Jimmy Rollins then reached on an error and Yasiel Puig made it 4-2 with his RBI groundout.
Gonzalez homered again in the third and fifth innings, extending the lead to 6-2.
"Tough night for (Cashner)," said San Diego manager Bud Black. "Adrian had a big night. He's locked in right now. It was Adrian's night."
The Padres chased McCarthy from the game in the sixth. Will Middlebrooks led off the frame with a solo home run and Yonder Alonso and Yangervis Solarte hit consecutive doubles for another run. Pedro Baez came on and recorded the final two outs in the stanza to keep it a 6-4 game.
Gonzalez put the finishing touches on his night in the home sixth when he slapped a single into right-center, plating Justin Turner.
Joel Peralta picked up his first save of the season, pitching around a one-out single in the ninth.
Cashner was charged with six runs -- five earned -- on eight hits over five innings in the loss. Alonso had three hits, and Solarte doubled twice.
Game Notes
San Diego went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left eight stranded on base ... After an off day Thursday, Los Angeles heads on the road for a three-game set with Arizona, while the Padres kick off a seven-game homestand against the Giants on Thursday.
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