Major League Baseball

Grandal slugs 3 of Dodgers' 5 HRs in 10-6 win over Padres

Published Jul. 9, 2016 4:05 a.m. ET

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LOS ANGELES (AP) Yasmani Grandal couldn't hit during the offseason after left shoulder surgery. Spring training wasn't much better, ever mindful of others' advice on overdoing it and stressing his joint.

Grandal kept watching video of his swing, working with the hitting coaches to regain his lost touch.

It paid off in spades when he homered three times, driving in six runs in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 10-6 win over the San Diego Padres on Friday night that snapped a three-game skid.

''Today just seemed like it was my day,'' he said. ''I've been hitting the ball, hard contact; it's not showing numbers-wise. I kept doing what I was doing and tried to make adjustments here and there.''

Grandal became the third Dodgers catcher to hit three homers in a game, joining Mike Piazza (1996) and Roy Campanella (1950).

''This is something he'll always remember,'' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

The teams combined for 28 hits and seven homers, including two by San Diego's Melvin Upton Jr. Justin Turner and Howie Kendrick added solo shots for Los Angeles.

Grandal had a bunt single against the shift in the eighth, giving him a career-high five hits against this former team. He took a foul ball off his mask in the sixth. Grandal had hit .182 with two homers in 18 previous games against the Padres, who traded him to the Dodgers for outfielder Matt Kemp, who went 0 for 5.

Both starters struggled mightily before leaving early. San Diego's Andrew Cashner gave up a career-high eight runs, while Los Angeles' Scott Kazmir labored through a 31-pitch, 27-minute first inning in a game that lasted 3 hours, 45 minutes.

Pedro Baez (2-2) got the win, allowing one hit in 2 2/3 innings of relief.

Kazmir allowed three runs and six hits in a season-low three innings, struck out five and walked three.

''The first inning for me it was tough to get any type of rhythm,'' he said. ''I felt I was throwing the ball well, I just wasn't getting any outs.''

Cashner (3-7) lasted just 2 2/3 innings, giving up eight hits, including four homers, while striking out two and walking three. The Dodgers feasted on Cashner's fastball, teeing off on it for their first eight runs.

''I didn't really command much of anything,'' Cashner said. ''Fastball was out of the zone, not even close, and when I did throw it for a strike it was down the middle.''

Upton led off the fourth with his 16th homer of the season on the first pitch from Louis Coleman, leaving San Diego trailing 8-4. Upton has seven homers in his last 12 games. Coleman gave up three runs and four hits in one-plus innings.

The Dodgers extended their lead to 7-3 in the third. Grandal hit a three-run homer and Kendrick followed with a solo shot, making it the second time this week and this season that the team had back-to-back homers.

The Padres cut their deficit to 4-3 in the second on Upton's two-run homer.

Los Angeles took a 4-1 lead in the first, scoring all its runs with two outs. Turner got things going with his solo homer. Adrian Gonzalez singled and scored - going wide to avoid the tag with his left hand on the plate - on Yasiel Puig's double. Grandal followed with his first home run of the game, driving in Puig.

San Diego catcher Derek Norris left the game in the fourth with a right quad contusion, the result of a first-inning collision with Chase Utley. Alexei Ramirez grounded into a bases-loaded fielder's choice to Utley at second and Norris ran into him, causing them both to fall down. Norris was out on runner's interference.

''There's only one way in the world that run was not going to score, for him to create contact and get that call on interference,'' Padres manager Andy Green said of Utley. ''It's very frustrating to have one of your players get hurt from somebody else creating the collision and having your guy get called out at the same time.''

STARTING IN CENTER FIELD

From Oklahoma City to starting in center field for the Dodgers was Andrew Toles. The 24-year-old outfielder had his contract purchased Friday and he made his major league debut after being out of baseball last year because of personal issues.

He doubled in the second for his first big-league hit.

Toles started for the Triple-A team Thursday night against Omaha and then caught an early flight to the West Coast. He began the season with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga and moved on to Double-A Tulsa before joining OKC.

''He was on the radar because he can really hit,'' Roberts said.

Regular center fielder Joc Pederson is on the DL and the team has a short bench, leading to Toles' promotion.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Padres: RHP Tyson Ross (shoulder inflammation) reported discomfort in his twisted left ankle after playing catch from 120 feet at flat ground. There are no scheduled plans for him to throw off a mound. ... 2B Cory Spangenberg (pulled hamstring) was shut down midway through base-running drills during a rehab session and will be re-evaluated by team doctors.

Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw is due to come off the DL after the All-Star break, but he will need additional time. Roberts said Kershaw's back is improving daily, but the team won't put a timetable on him. ... Pederson is in Arizona, hasn't swung a bat yet and the team isn't sure how soon he'll return after the break.

UP NEXT

Padres: RHP Luis Perdomo (3-3, 7.93 ERA) tossed a career high-tying six innings in his previous start Monday at Arizona, giving up three runs (two earned) and nine hits. He struck out five and walked none.

Dodgers: RHP Brandon McCarthy (1-0, 0.00) makes his second start of the season after coming off the DL last weekend.

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