SAN DIEGO — Outfielder Chris Denorfia lined a two-run, tiebreaking single through a drawn-in Dodgers infield to cap a three-run, eighth inning Sunday night, leading the San Diego Padres to a season-opening, 3-1 win over Los Angeles before a Petco Park record crowd of 45,567.
All three Padres runs came off reliever Brian Wilson, who entered the eighth with the Dodgers leading 1-0 behind seven shutout innings by left-handed starter Hyun-Jin Ryu.
Pinch hitter Seth Smith homered in his first at-bat as a Padre to greet Wilson and tie score at 1-1. Smith’s 360-foot drive into the seats in right was only the second Opening Day, pinch-hit homer hit by a Padre in 46 seasons.
Wilson followed the homer by walking pinch hitter Yasmani Grandal.
The right-hander then fumbled shortstop Everth Cabrera’s sacrifice bunt for an error.
Denorfia lined his decisive single to center after Grandal reached third on a delayed steal and Cabrera took second a pitch later without the Dodgers contesting the play.
Right-hander Dale Thayer earned the win by retiring all three batters he faced in the eighth. Closer Huston Street picked up the save with a perfect ninth.
Outfielder Carl Crawford’s two-out, two-strike line single over the head of Padres third baseman Chase Headley in the fifth drove in second baseman Dee Gordon with the game’s first run.
The run snapped a string of 20 straight scoreless innings pitched by Padres starter Andrew Cashner dating back to last season. Cashner had retired the Dodgers (2-1) in order in three of the first four innings before catcher A.J. Ellis opened the Dodgers’ go-ahead rally with a one-out single to left.
After Gordon drew a walk, Ryu bunted into a force play at third.
Crawford fouled off two pitches from Cashner after falling behind 0-and-2 in the count. He then lined a 96-mph fastball to left, easily scoring Gordon from second.
The Padres threatened in the first two innings against Ryu after getting their first two runners on in each frame. First baseman Yonder Alonso bounced into a bases-loaded double play to end the first. Cabrera struck out with runners on second and third with two out in the second.
Ryu retired 16 straight Padres after left fielder Tommy Medica and center fielder Will Venable opened the second with back-to-back singles. The streak ended when Ryu walked Medica on four straight pitches with one out in the seventh. Medica was eliminated on an inning-ending double play.
Cashner allowed the Dodgers one run on four hits over six innings. He had five strikeouts and two walks, both of which were issued in the fifth.
Prior to the season opener, the Padres honored Hall of Fame broadcaster Jerry Coleman, who died Jan. 5 at the age of 89.
Before joining the Padres broadcast team in 1972, Coleman was a second baseman for the New York Yankees — he was the MVP of the 1950 World Series — and a distinguished Marine aviator who was the only major-leaguer to see combat in both World War II and Korea.
The television and radio booths at Petco Park were renamed the “Jerry Coleman Broadcast Center.”
NOTES: Padres LF Carlos Quentin opened the season on the 15-day disabled list with a bone bruise of his left (good) knee. Quentin, who is eligible to rejoin the Padres on April 8 in Cleveland, suffered the injury while making a sliding catch in the outfield on March 18 … Due to injuries, the Padres’ Opening Day lineup include two starters — C Rene Rivera and LF Tommy Medica — who didn’t figure to make the roster at the start of spring training … Dodgers RHP Josh Beckett (rehabbing from rib surgery) will throw batting practice Monday and could start Saturday against the Giants … Dodgers CF Matt Kemp will take batting practice Monday and could come off the disabled list April 4.