Maddux is on the money and Dodgers pay the price

It was just like old times, Greg Maddux toying with batters and the Dodgers marveling at his mastery.

The difference, of course, was that Maddux wore a San Diego Padres uniform and the Dodgers were the ones he baffled.

Maddux pitched seven innings, retiring the last 14 batters he faced for his 335th victory, and the Padres won, 3-2, Saturday night at Petco Park in a tidy 2 hours 4 minutes.

Dodgers starter Brett Tomko dispatched the first 11 batters before caving in, surrendering four consecutive hits and three runs with two out in the fourth for all the support Maddux and two relievers required.

Russell Martin did his best to spoil the finish for Padres closer Trevor Hoffman for a second night in a row, but his shot to left field was hauled in at the warning track by Terrmel Sledge to end the game.

“Luckily, we survived,” Maddux said.

Weren’t the Dodgers supposed to be the “we” in any comments by Maddux? Wasn’t he supposed to finish his career in Dodger blue?

He made that desire clear after being acquired at the trading deadline last season and winning six games to help the Dodgers secure a postseason berth. But business is business, and in baseball that means the almighty dollar determines where players land, even a 41-year-old lock for the Hall of Fame who already had earned $133 million.

Maddux’s chances of returning to L.A. nosedived when the relationship between Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti and agent Scott Boras turned frosty over J.D. Drew’s decision to opt out of his contract.

Communication between the two sides basically ceased and the Dodgers turned to the younger, more expensive Jason Schmidt -- a decision they might rue because of Schmidt’s questionable health.

Maddux, meanwhile, looked to the Padres, the only other team he had interest in joining. He signed a two-year contract that guarantees him $10 million this season with options that could bring him from $6 million to $11 million in 2008.

The Dodgers rationalized losing Maddux by whispering that he rarely pitches past the sixth inning or throws more than 70 pitches. But there he was, retiring the last batter of the seventh on his 80th pitch.

“We knew he was going to be tough the minute he signed with the Padres,” Dodgers Manager Grady Little said. “We knew it would be a battle every time. And we also knew with him on the mound the game wouldn’t take very long.”

The Dodgers scored in the first and third innings because Juan Pierre continued his career-long success against Maddux and Jeff Kent continued his career-long penchant for delivering with runners in scoring position.

Pierre, who is batting .379 against Maddux, doubled and scored on Kent’s single in the first, then singled, stole second and scored on Kent’s double in the third. From that point, though, the Dodgers might as well have walked to the plate with fishing poles.

Tomko carried the 2-0 lead into the fourth, but with two out gave up singles to Brian Giles and Adrian Gonzalez, Khalil Greene’s tying two-run double and Mike Cameron’s tiebreaking RBI single.

Said Little: “He lost his no-hitter, his shutout and the game all in one inning.”

steve.henson@latimes.com