Dodgers 5, Padres 2

Manny finally broke out, going 2 for 4 with a walk and a two-run double that broke a 2-2 tie and keyed a three-run seventh for the Dodgers. Chad Billingsley pitched six fairly strong innings, allowing two runs on two hits, but he got himself into a whole mess o’ trouble when he walked the first three batters in the fifth. Although the Pods ended up scoring two runs to tie the game, it could have been a lot worse and probably would have been if Jody Gerut, the guy who came to the plate with the bases loaded and nobody out after those three walks, hadn’t suffered a brain cramp and swung at Billingsley’s first pitch, grounding into a forceout. James Loney went 2 for 5 and is now hitting .500 (6 for 12). … BTW, remember all that talk about how shaky this bullpen was going to be? They have now pitched nine shutout innings in three games, and Jonathan Broxton has now retired all six batters he has faced, striking out four of them, to go 2 for 2 in save situations. … Casey Blake, the only Dodgers regular not to get a hit in the first two games, finally got one, a towering home run into the leftfield stands in the second inning of Walter Silva. … Dodgers go to 2-1 and are now tied for first place with Colorado, a half-game ahead of the Giants. Day game tomorrow, Clayton Kershaw against Kevin Correia.