LA Dodgers 8, San Diego 4

Dodgers 8, Padres 4: Luis Cruz had three hits and two RBIs and A.J. Ellis also drove in two runs as visiting Los Angeles downed San Diego for the second straight night.

Cruz delivered a two-run single during a four-run fifth-inning uprising as the Dodgers moved within three games of the St. Louis Cardinals for the National League’s second wild-card spot.

Ellis had run-scoring singles in both the fourth and fifth innings and Chris Capuano (12-11) allowed one run and five hits in 5 1/3 innings to win for the first time since Aug. 12 as the Dodgers won for the third time in four games.

Former San Diego All-Star Adrian Gonzalez had a run-scoring single in the sixth to increase Los Angeles’ lead to 6-0. The Padres tallied in the bottom of the inning when Carlos Quentin was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and made it a 7-4 game in the eighth on Mark Kotsay’s two-run double and Will Venable’s run-scoring single.

San Diego starter Casey Kelly (2-3) was touched up for five runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Gonzalez had two hits in each contest of the three-game series and is batting .487 (19-for-39) in nine games against his former club. … Padres 1B Yonder Alonso had two doubles among his three hits for his 11th multi-double game of the season, tying the major-league record held by four others. … Dodgers OF Matt Kemp had two hits and went 6-for-10 over the final two games of the series.

• San Diego will play their next game at home against San Francisco. The Padres have a W/L % of .527 after a win and .427 after a loss.
• LA Dodgers will play their next game at home against Colorado. The Dodgers have a W/L % of .562 after a win and .474 after a loss.