ON THE DODGERS / DODGERS 2, SAN DIEGO 1 (10)

Harry Truman was president, Joe Torre was 5 years old and the Dodgers played in a cramped ballpark in Brooklyn, N.Y., called Ebbets Field.

It was 1946, the year the Dodgers set a franchise record by winning their first nine games at home, a record that would go untouched for 63 years.

Until Saturday night.

Andre Ethier hit a bases-loaded single in the 10th inning to lift the Dodgers over the San Diego Padres, 2-1, at Dodger Stadium to extend the club’s season-opening home winning streak to nine games and tie the record.

After Rafael Furcal and Orlando Hudson singled against reliever Luke Gregerson to open the 10th inning, Manny Ramirez was intentionally walked, loading the bases with none out.

Ethier then lined a ball to the right-field fence, driving in Furcal.

It was the second consecutive pitching duel won by the Dodgers, who remained the only major league team to be undefeated at home.

The Dodgers improved to 17-8 and widened their National League West division lead to 4 1/2 games over the San Francisco Giants, who lost to the Colorado Rockies.

For the first five innings, left-hander Randy Wolf dueled Chris Young, the Padres’ 6-foot-10 right-hander.

Many of the 47,680 in attendance were still filing in when Wolf surrendered a home run to the second batter, Edgar Gonzalez, into the left-field pavilion.

But Wolf helped his own cause in the third inning when he hit a double down the right-field line. Furcal singled to drive in Wolf and tie the score.

It stayed that way until the sixth inning, when Wolf dug himself a hole with consecutive walks to David Eckstein and Gonzalez.

Adrian Gonzalez, Edgar’s brother, grounded up the middle and second baseman Hudson smothered it in shallow center field, saving a run.

With the bases loaded, Wolf -- who had given up only two hits but thrown 103 pitches -- was lifted by Torre and replaced with Ramon Troncoso, who promptly got Kevin Kouzmanoff to hit into an inning-ending double play.

The Padres had another threat in the fifth inning when Wolf issued consecutive walks to Nick Hundley and Luis Rodriguez with two out. But Young then lined out to right field.

Wolf and Young, who gave up only one run and six hits in seven innings, were not involved in the decision.

Cory Wade, who recently came off the disabled list, was excellent in relief, shutting out the Padres in the eighth and ninth innings.

It was the second consecutive night that runs were scarce at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers prevailed Friday night, 1-0, when Martin walked with the bases loaded in the ninth inning.

“Every time we go out on the field we want to win, whatever that number is, it is, but hopefully we can extend this thing,” Torre said before the game.

And Ramirez said “the main goal is winning the World Series. It feels good to be winning and making these records, but that’s the main goal.”

Torre also said it was likely he would rest three of the regulars today -- Furcal, Martin and Casey Blake -- in today’s game, the final game of the four-game series with the Padres.

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james.peltz@latimes.com