Two innings later, Grandal added to the lead with a two-run home run.
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Left-hander Rich Hill pitched 5 2/3 no-hit innings to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 5-1 win over the San Diego Padres on Saturday night in front of 47,590 at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers entered Sunday’s action in first place in the National League West, two games ahead of the Giants.
De Leon became the 15th different starting pitcher – and seventh in seven days – used by Los Angeles this season. The 24-year-old right-hander, recalled a day earlier from Triple-A Oklahoma City, recorded the second-most strikeouts by a Dodgers pitcher in his major league debut. With Christian Friedrich set to face Jose De Leon in the pitching matchup, the over/under now sits at 8 runs.
Grant Dayton, Joe Blanton and Kenley Jansen each pitched a scoreless inning to finish up the game.
The Dodgers countered with three runs in the bottom of the third, Turner drawing a one-out walk, Adrian Gonzalez beating the shift with a bunt single to third and Puig cracking a three-run homer to left off Friedrich, a shot that carried significance for both the mercurial right fielder and the Dodgers.
Chase Utley’s RBI single tied the game 4-all in the fifth. Wil Myers followed with a single and Solarte hurt De Leon again, this time with a run-scoring sacrifice fly that gave the Padres a 4-3 lead. Yasmani Grandal would also hit a home run and he drove in three runs.
If Kershaw starts Friday, and then is able to pitch every five days (knock on wood), he lines up as the opening starter in both the home and away series with the San Francisco Giants that likely will decide the victor of the division. He struck out just two batters while walking four in the process.
Hill remains unbeaten in his last 10 starts since May 7 with a career-best eight-game winning streak, going 8-0 in that span with a 1.61 ERA.
The Dodgers clinched the season series with the Padres for the sixth straight time. Signed as a free agent from the Chicago White Sox during the offseason, Ramirez hit.240 in 128 games with 19 doubles, five home runs and 41 RBIs.
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The Dodgers announced on Sunday that Kershaw will return to their rotation Friday night against the Miami Marlins, his first start since a June 26 outing at Pittsburgh. He won’t have a specific pitch count, but will be monitored. He’s coming off a loss in his last start at Atlanta, where he gave up five runs and seven hits in 2 2/3 innings and walked three in a 7-3 defeat. In 16 starts, he went 7-1 with a 2.61 ERA and 0.94 WHIP.
