LOS ANGELES – Vicente Padilla took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning and finished with his fourth career shutout, pitching the Los Angeles Dodgers past the San Diego Padres 9-0 Wednesday night.
Padilla (5-3) held the Padres hitless for 6 1-3 innings before Ryan Ludwick lined a single past first baseman James Loney's lunging try.
Padilla wound up with a two-hitter, striking out nine and retiring 14 straight batters at one stretch. He also got two hits himself, including an RBI single during a five-run eighth.
The Dodgers won a night after newly acquired Ted Lilly limited the NL West-leading Padres to just two hits over seven innings in a 2-1 win.
Andre Either, who homered, Ryan Theriot and Scott Podsednik each drove in two runs.
Pitching with an extra day's rest after Lilly joined the rotation, Padilla allowed only two walks — one of them intentional — through the first six innings. The 32-year-old righty completely baffled the Padres with a tantalizingly slow breaking pitch that Dodgers announcer Vin Scully refers to as a "soap bubble."
Loney, who wasn't in the starting lineup because left-hander Wade LeBlanc was pitching for San Diego, came in for defensive measures in the seventh and replaced Ronnie Belliard. But Ludwick lined his hit on an 0-2 pitch and Chase Headley followed with another single.
Pitching coach Rick Honeycutt came out to give Padilla a chance to collect himself, and Yorvit Torrealba then grounded into an inning-ending double play. Padilla set down the Padres in order over the final two innings for his fourth complete game in 234 career starts.
Padilla, the Dodgers' opening day starter, spent more than two months on the disabled list because of elbow soreness. In nine starts since his return, he is 4-2 with 1.80 ERA.
LeBlanc (5-10) gave up four runs and eight hits in 6 1-3 innings and struck out six. The Padres also were shut out in his other start against the Dodgers this season.
Dodgers manager Joe Torre was forced to start another patchwork lineup because of injuries to catcher Russell Martin, shortstop Rafael Furcal and left fielder Manny Ramirez — whose return remains in question because of another calf strain that has sidelined him since July 17 and delayed his minor league rehab assignment at least another week.
Shortly before gametime, Martin was placed on the 15-day disabled list for the first time in five big league seasons because of a tear in his right hip.
Podsednik hit a two-run single in the second after a sacrifice by Padilla.
NOTES: Torrealba was 0 for 3, ending his hitting streak at 15 games, one short of his career best. ... The Dodgers recalled C A.J. Ellis from Triple-A Albuquerque, and optioned OF Xavier Paul to their Pacific Coast League club. INF-OF Reed Johnson was activated from the DL after missing 19 games with a lumbar strain. ... Torre expects Furcal's back strain to keep him on the bench for the rest of this homestand, which concludes with a three-game set against Washington. "Hopefully by the time we go the road, he'll be a player for us," Torre said. "I don't want to lose him for two weeks (on the DL) unless it's the safest thing to do. And at this point, it's worth waiting a few days just to see if it gets better."
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.