Padres fall to 6-23 in day games, lose 3-1 to Dodgers

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The San Diego Padres aren't exactly having fun in the sun this season.

Kenta Maeda struck out a career-high 13 batters, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat San Diego 3-1 on Sunday to drop the Padres to 6-23 in day games, including 1-13 during the day on Sundays.

"We do need to find a way to get ready for day games more consistently," manager Andy Green said. "I don't think that we've played our best baseball in day games. Sundays are usually day games, so I don't want to make too much of that concept, but we do need to find a way to be ready to play at the beginning of a day game."

Maeda exploited the Padres' sleepy start by retiring 14 of the first 15 hitters.

"He pitched us backwards all day long. We didn't seem to make an adjustment," Green said. "Spin us early. Hard in late. Mix in the fastball periodically, but it was pretty much offspeed."

Maeda (8-6) held San Diego to a run on two hits, including a solo homer to Derek Norris.

Adrian Gonzalez hit his first homer in 25 games to give the Dodgers a 3-1 lead in the fifth, a turning point for Padres starter Christian Friedrich (4-5).

"I tried to throw, as pitchers say, the nastier one, instead of the same one I've thrown," Friedrich said. "He did what good hitters do, went with it, and lifted it out to left-center.

"I was definitely frustrated by that one, especially."

Friedrich lost for the fourth time in five starts, giving up three runs and seven hits over five innings.

"I settled down, felt like I was getting stronger as the game was going on," he said. "It's a bitter way to end it, but there were some good things in there.

Gonzalez has hit safely in five straight games and is batting .455 over his past 12 games.

Howie Kendrick extended his hitting streak to seven games. He doubled and scored in the first and drove in the Dodgers' second run with line-drive single in the second. He also reached safely on an infield single in the sixth.

Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless ninth for his 27th save.

Norris drove the first pitch he saw from Maeda with one out in the fifth over the left-field wall for his 12th homer.

The Padres fell to 18-18 since June 1.

FIRST SERVE

Tennis player and Thousand Oaks resident Sam Querrey threw out the game's ceremonial first pitch. Querrey upset top-ranked Novac Djokovic in the third round at Wimbledon on July 2.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Padres: 2B Jemile Weeks (right hamstring strain) continues to progress through his running program. The Padres hope to get him into minor league rehab games after the All-Star break. ... 2B Corey Spangenberg (left quad strain) suffered a setback running on Friday and has been sent back to San Diego to be re-evaluated. ... RHP Tyson Ross (right shoulder inflammation) has suffered a sprained ankle and will see a doctor on Monday. "He's been throwing still, but just can't get off the mound from a stability standpoint with the ankle," Padres manager Andy Green said.

NEXT UP

Padres: Andrew Cashner (3-7, 5.40) will make his third start of the year against the Giants when the Padres open the second half hosting San Francisco. Cashner has lost five of his last six decisions, dating to May 8.