LOS ANGELES (AP) - Clayton Richard is trying to lead by example on the second-youngest roster in the majors. In their second game of the season, he showed the San Diego Padres how to win.
The 33-year-old Richard pitched eight impressive innings, Yangervis Solarte homered and the Padres turned four double plays to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0 on Tuesday night.
“The biggest thing is getting our first team win,” Richard said. “At the beginning of the season, you want to get that out of the way.”
Richard is back for his second career stint in San Diego after beginning last season with the Cubs, where he worked 25 games in relief before being let go in August and catching on with the Padres again.
“His fastball command was outstanding. He got groundball after groundball after groundball,” San Diego manager Andy Green said. “He got the double plays to get out of four innings. His changeup was as good as I’ve seen it. He punched some guys out with it and it’s not normally a punchout pitch for him.”
The Dodgers were limited to five hits after pounding out 14 in a 14-3 rout Monday, when they set a franchise record for opening day by socking four home runs.
“Clayton’s goal is to put the ball on the ground and he’s a high percentage sinker,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “When he’s doing that, he’s going to be tough.”
Corey Seager, last season’s NL Rookie of the Year, went 0 for 4 with a strikeout and hit into two double plays for Los Angeles. Kenta Maeda (0-1) gave up three runs in five innings.
“I was a little bit too excited, being the season opener,” Maeda said through a translator. “(Richard) really moved the ball well and kept the hitters off balance. He kept the rhythm off balance, which is something I wasn’t able to do for my team.”
The Padres had 11 hits after being held to five by Clayton Kershaw and Chris Hatcher on Monday.
Richard (1-0) allowed five hits - all singles - on 99 pitches. The left-hander struck out five and walked two.
“It’s really difficult to lead in the clubhouse if you’re not doing it on the field,” said Richard, a former backup quarterback at Michigan. “Guys gravitate toward guys who do well on the field. That’s just in anything in life, people gravitate to those who are successful.”
Brad Hand pitched the ninth to complete the shutout.
San Diego turned inning-ending double plays in the second, fourth and sixth.
Solarte’s homer with two outs in the third extended the lead to 3-0. His RBI single accounted for the Padres’ first run, and Ryan Schimpf added a sacrifice fly that made it 2-0 in the first.
Wil Myers had an RBI single with two outs in the eighth.
Erick Aybar went 3 for 3 with a walk for the Padres.
Maeda allowed six hits to open his second season in the majors. The Japanese right-hander struck out four and walked two. He finished third in last season’s NL Rookie of the Year voting after going 16-11 with a 3.48 ERA in 32 starts.
BUILDING UP URIAS
Julio Urias is set to make his next start at Triple-A Oklahoma City, although the Dodgers optioned him to Class A Rancho Cucamonga, a move manager Dave Roberts attributed to paperwork. Urias threw a side session Tuesday and will start for OKC later this week. The Dodgers have been protective of the 20-year-old’s arm in order to save him for September and October. Urias was 5-2 with a 3.39 ERA and 84 strikeouts while pitching 82 2/3 innings in the majors last year.
UP NEXT
Padres: RHP Trevor Cahill starts the third game of the series Wednesday.
Dodgers: LHP Rich Hill is 1-3 with a 5.75 ERA in four career starts against San Diego and has limited hitters to a .216 average.
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This story has been corrected to show Corey Seager was 0 for 4 instead of 0 for 3.
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