Dodgers pitchers can’t hold Padres

Reporting from San Diego

When the Dodgers have won this season, it has been because they pitched well.

They have given up a combined 11 runs in their five victories.

So, the Dodgers didn’t have much of a chance Sunday when the San Diego Padres battered John Ely, Kenley Jansen and Lance Cormier for seven runs at Petco Park.

Ely was called up from triple-A Albuquerque to make a spot start in place of sidelined No. 5 starter Jon Garland, who was pitching for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga in a rehabilitation assignment.

Ely, the pitcher of record in a 7-2 defeat, was charged with four runs and six hits in 52/3 innings.

He took the roster spot that belonged to Hector Gimenez, whose right knee problems were curiously revealed by the Dodgers on Sunday. Gimenez was put on the 15-day disabled list and returned to the Dodgers’ spring-training complex in Arizona to rehabilitate.

“For the first two innings, I was struggling to find a rhythm,” Ely said.

Those were two innings in which he happened to put up zeros.

The Padres tied the score, 1-1, in the third inning, when Jorge Cantu’s single drove in Orlando Hudson from second base. The Padres moved ahead in the fourth, 2-1, on a home run by Ryan Ludwick.

A two-run home run by Nick Hundley put the Padres ahead, 4-2, in the sixth inning.

Mattingly was noncommittal when asked whether Ely or Garland would start against the St. Louis Cardinals on April 15.

Garland, who has been out because of a strained side muscle, gave up three runs and six hits in 42/3 innings at Rancho Cucamonga, but didn’t walk anyone.

Two in one for Broxton

Jonathan Broxton did something Saturday night that no Dodgers pitcher had done in 11 seasons.

He saved two games in one day.

“It was weird,” Broxton said.

The last Dodger to close out two games in one day was Jeff Shaw, on Aug. 25, 2000, against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Broxton pitched the final inning of a suspended game that was resumed Saturday evening, a 4-2 Dodgers win over the Padres. He also recorded the final out of the originally scheduled game, a 4-0 Dodgers victory.

Asked how he felt in the second game, Broxton said, “It felt better than the first time. I was amped up.”

For that, he gave credit to Hiroki Kuroda, who pitched 82/3 scoreless innings at a time when the bullpen was depleted.

“The game he threw, it was very exciting to watch,” Broxton said.

By his admission, Broxton made the game more interesting than it should have been by walking Chris Denorfia to load the bases.

But Broxton got Cameron Maybin to hit a slow roller that resulted in a basepath collision between third baseman Casey Blake and Chase Headley. The interference call ended the game.

The save was Broxton’s fifth.

Short hops

Shortstop Rafael Furcal was out of the lineup for the second consecutive day because of a sore left wrist. “A lot better,” Furcal said of the wrist. “It’s possible I play tomorrow.” … Blake was given the day off. … Andre Ethier, who turned 29, has hit safely in each of his last seven games. … Matt Kemp stole his sixth base. He has stolen five bases in his last three games. ... Tony Gwynn Jr. was five for 10 in the three-game series against the Padres, his former team.

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com