Clayton Richard pitches 1st career shutout, Padres defeat Dodgers 6-0

Padres beat Dodgers 6-0 behind Richard

LOS ANGELES — Clayton Richard pitched his first shutout and complete game, Ryan Ludwick drove in four runs and the San Diego Padres defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-0 on Tuesday night to remain a half-game behind the NL West-leading San Francisco Giants.

The Giants’ 1-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs officially eliminated the Dodgers from playoff contention. Los Angeles has lost six of its last eight games.

Colorado fell 2½ games behind the Giants in the division with a 3-1 loss at Arizona.

The Padres moved within a game of Atlanta in the wild-card race. They’ve won eight of the last 10 games with the Dodgers, and five in a row.

Richard (13-8) allowed eight hits, struck out six and walked two in his 65th career start.

The Padres had lost each of his four previous starts, with the left-hander going 3-0 with a 4.76 ERA in that span. His shutout was the 19th by the Padres this season.

Ludwick gave San Diego a 2-0 lead on his two-out single to left field in the third inning. He drove in the Padres’ sixth run on a fielder’s choice grounder in the ninth.

The Padres got to Chad Billingsley (11-11) for three runs in the fifth. After Will Venable singled to lead off, David Eckstein walked.

Miguel Tejada hit a line drive off Billingsley, who scrambled behind the mound to retrieve the ball and throw him out. Billingsley intentionally walked Adrian Gonzalez to load the bases, then grazed Ludwick to force in a run.

Yorvit Torrealba’s sacrifice fly added another run before Chase Headley’s RBI single scored Gonzalez to make it 5-0.

Billingsley gave up five runs and six hits in five innings, struck out six and walked three to lose his third in a row.

Notes: It was the second complete game by a Padres pitcher this season. The first came on May 13 when Mat Latos pitched a one-hitter to beat the Giants 1-0. … With the victory, the Padres clinched at least a split of the season series for the first time since 2007, when they went 10-8 against the Dodgers. … Los Angeles was shut out for the first time since Sept. 8, when they lost 4-0 to the Padres, and the 17th time this season.