LOS ANGELES, April 21 (UPI) -- Odalis Perez came within an out of a complete game Saturday night as the Los Angeles Dodgers continued their run of stellar starting pitching in a 4-1 victory over the San Diego Padres.
Before the game, righthander Kevin Brown was placed on the 15-day disabled list with to a recurring right elbow injury that landed him on the DL three times last season.
But Perez (2-1) did his best Brown imitation, limiting the Padres to one run and six hits in 8 2/3 innings. He carried a three-hitter into the ninth but allowed three consecutive singles and was relieved by Giovanni Carrara, who retired Ray Lankford for his first career save.
Perez nearly became the first Dodger to pitch consecutive complete games since Brown pitched three in a row from June 5-15, 2000. Los Angeles starters have allowed two earned runs or less in 13 of the last 15 contests.
San Diego's Bobby Jones (1-1) yielded three runs and eight hits in seven innings. All of the runs he gave up came in the fourth and fifth innings as Brian Jordan hit a two-run homer and Cesar Izturis delivered a two-out RBI double.
