Dodgers regain NL West lead with 2-1 win over Padres; Kershaw’s streak ends

Clayton Kershaw finally gave up a run but he still pitched a complete game to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 21 victory over the San Diego Padres and back into sole possession of first place in the National League West.

The ace hurler’s streak of scoreless innings came to an end at 41 when Padres third baseman Chase Headley connected on a solo home run in the top of the sixth inning of Thursday night’s game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

That blast to center field tied the game at 11, but the Dodgers retook the lead in the bottom of that same inning when a sacrifice fly off the bat of first baseman Adrian Gonzalez drove in shortstop Hanley Ramirez.

That proved to be enough run production for Kershaw (112), who shut out the Padres over the final three innings and gave up just three hits, struck out 11 batters and walked only one in recording his third complete game of the season and 14th of his career.

Kershaw, who is on a hot streak after missing several weeks with a back injury and has now won eighth straight starts, fell 18 innings short of the record for consecutive scoreless innings set in 1988 by former Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser.

Despite giving up the run, Kershaw, whose streak dated back to a June 13 game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, also lowered his ERA to a Major Leaguebest 1.78.

Headley’s home run ended the longest scorelessinnings streak since Brandon Webb went 42 innings without allowing a run in 2007 as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Center fielder Scott Van Slyke singled in Yasiel Puig in the bottom of the fourth inning for the Dodgers’ first run of the game.

Padres starter Odrisamer Despaigne (21) took the loss despite a quality start in which he gave up just two runs over seven innings.

The Dodgers improved to 5242 and moved one game ahead of the secondplace San Francisco Giants in the NL West, while the thirdplace Padres fell to 4052.