Apr 25, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Andre Ethier (right) is congratulated by first baseman Adrian Gonzalez (23) after hitting a solon home run during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Photo Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
SAN DIEGO — The marine layer took the night off in San Diego.
How else to explain the Los Angeles Dodgers and Padres combining for seven home runs in Petco Park, among the major’s most pitcher-friendly ballparks?
The Dodgers, who hit four homers, defeated the Padres 11-8 for their second straight win.
The Padres, who have lost a season-high four games, were led by left fielder Justin Upton’s two home runs and five RBIs. But it wasn’t enough on a blustery night, with the wind blowing out for most the game.
The seven homers ties for the most in a game in the majors this season. There were also five doubles and a triple.
Los Angeles got a three-run homer from first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and two-run homers from left fielder Andre Ethier, second baseman Howie Kendrick and third baseman Juan Uribe.
“That is an uncharacteristic day for this ballpark,” Kendrick said.
Brandon McCarthy (3-0) settled down after giving up three runs in the first inning and retired 14 of 15 batters before the Padres scored three times in the sixth inning.
McCarthy worked five-plus innings and was charged with six runs and six hits but his outing might have been costly.
He left with elbow tightness in his right (throwing) elbow and will undergo an MRI on Monday in Los Angeles.
McCarthy, who suffered a similar injury last year, said he felt pain in the second inning.
“But we had a big lead and I thought, ‘Do I pull the plug on this or see if it loosens up?”‘ he said. “But my stuff just kept diminishing and I was kind of just throwing it and hoping and praying.”
The Dodgers are already without starter Hyun-jin Ryu because of a sore shoulder.
“It’s not a good feeling,” Dodger manager Don Mattingly said of McCarthy. “We will just kind of see where we are at tomorrow. Hopefully it’s not something serious.”
San Diego’s Ian Kennedy (0-1) was rocked for eight runs in 4 2/3 innings in his first start since a disabled list stint with a strained left hamstring.
“Location was off,” Padres manager Bud Black. “First inning, he didn’t make very good pitches.”
Upton’s sixth-inning three-run homer, his second home run of the game, sliced the Dodgers’ lead to 10-6. The blast chased McCarthy, who had to acknowledge his balky elbow wouldn’t let him continue.
“I felt it on my release point,” McCarthy said. “It was hard to really let it go.”
It was Upton’s eighth multihome run game of his career.
“I’ve never seen the ball flying out of here like it was tonight,” Upton said. “The ball was carrying to right-center and right field.”
San Diego pulled to within 10-7 later in the inning when first baseman Yonder Alonso tripled and scored on Derek Norris’ groundout.
The Padres, who had three homers, are assured of dropping their first series at Petco Park since July 4-6.
The National League West-leading Dodgers beat the Padres for the fourth time in five games this season. Last year, they won 12 of 19 against San Diego.
The Dodgers wasted little time battering Kennedy, scoring three first-inning runs.
Ethier, who was replacing Yasiel Puig (strained hamstring) in the lineup, followed shortstop Jimmy Rollins’ game-opening single with his second home run of the season.
Gonzalez then doubled and catcher Yasmani Grandal singled, moving Gonzalez to third. Gonzalez scored on left fielder Carl Crawford’s double, but Grandal was erased at the plate on a strong relay from second baseman Yangervis Solarte.
Center fielder Wil Myers cut into the Dodgers’ lead with a first-inning solo home run. Matt Kemp singled with one out and Upton added a two-run homer to tie the score at 3.
The Dodgers collected three more runs in the second when Gonzalez smacked a three-run homer for a 6-3 cushion. Gonzalez drove in center fielder Joc Pederson (hit by pitch) and Ethier (walk) with his seventh homer of the season — six have come against the Padres.
Ethier started the fifth with a double, his second extra-base hit of the game. But he was thrown out at third base on Gonzalez’s grounder to Alonso at first. Kendrick followed with a two-run homer for an 8-3 cushion.
That edge grew to 10-3 when Uribe stroked a two-run home run, the Dodgers’ fourth homer in five innings.
NOTES: Padres RHP Ian Kennedy (strained left hamstring) came off the disabled list before his start. … San Diego LHP Frank Garces was demoted to Triple-A El Paso. … Padres LF Justin Upton was presented his 2014 Silver Slugger award before the game. … Dodgers LF Yasiel Puig (strained left hamstring) is day-to-day; manager Don Mattingly said he could be a DL candidate. … Mattingly said RHP Scott Baker is being summoned from Triple-A Oklahoma City and will start on Sunday. … It was 39 years ago Saturday that Dodgers announcer Rick Monday, then an outfielder with the Chicago Cubs, swooped in and prevented two protesters from burning the American flag in the Dodger Stadium outfield. … The Dodgers are in the midst of a 21-day stretch where they don’t leave California.
