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SAN DIEGO -- After a tough few outings, Clayton Kershaw is backing to pitching at Cy Young form. Kershaw rebounded with seven dominant innings and got two-run homers from Yasiel Puig and A.J. Ellis as the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres 4-0 on Saturday night. Two days after clinching their first division title since 2009, the Dodgers turned to their ace who delivered a gem as he struck out 10 and allowed just three hits. Kershaw (15-9) lowered his major league-best ERA to 1.88. He leads the NL with 224 strikeouts. The left-hander was held out of his last start on Wednesday to allow him more rest as the playoffs approach. "I felt good, so I guess thats a bonus," Kershaw said. A little bit erratic at first with the fastball but A.J. did a real good job of making me use all my pitches on both sides of the plate." In his previous three September starts, Kershaw wasnt as sharp as normal, going 1-1 with a 4.26 ERA. Kershaw is trying to become the first pitcher to lead the majors in ERA in three consecutive seasons since Atlantas Greg Maddux from 1993-95. The last Dodger to finish a season with a sub-2.00 ERA was Sandy Koufax (1.73) in 1966. San Diego had Kershaws number this season, defeating him in all three previous starts. The 2011 Cy Young Award winner was 0-3 with a 4.67 ERA in his first three starts against the Padres, while going 14-6 with a 1.71 ERA in his other starts. "(San Diego) is a tough team. They battle me," Kershaw said. "They put good at-bats on me and always seem to get my pitch count up. I felt good to finally get a win against these guys." Said Padres rookie second baseman Jedd Gyorko: "I think the difference was being able to get those key hits. You cant get him all the time and he kind of got us. Id say our at-bats were just as good as any other game against him. We just couldnt push through." San Diego had runners on first and second in the first with one out and men on second and third with no outs in the third and couldnt score either time against Kershaw. "Theyve been successful against him the last couple of years," Ellis said. "They grind him better than any team hes faced throughout the season. Hes kind of become a one-sided guy against these guys. Fastball in, slider, occasional curveball (with) two strikes. I think he was ready for something different." Ellis homered in the fourth off rookie Burch Smith (1-2). "It was a changeup that was a little bit up that ran into his bat," Smith said. Puig then connected on a shot to centre field off Tim Stauffer in the seventh that was estimated at 457 feet. Kershaw reached on a bunt single to lead off the inning. Kershaw retired 14 of his last 15 batters. Relievers Ronald Belisario and Brian Wilson each pitched a perfect inning for the Dodgers. Los Angeles played all of its starters, except shortstop Hanley Ramirez. The Dodgers held out all of their regulars in a 2-0 loss to the Padres on Friday night, one day after clinching their first division title since 2009. Smith gave up two runs on three hits in six innings. The rookie struck out six and walked a career-high five. NOTES: Dodgers manager Don Mattingly is resting Ramirez to help him recover from back and hamstring injuries that have plagued him throughout the season. Ramirez is expected to see limited playing time before the post-season. ... Dodgers OF Andre Ethier (sprained left ankle) missed his eighth straight game. Ethier, who took batting practice and did running drills before the game, could return when the Dodgers start a three-game series at San Francisco on Tuesday. ... Smiths third-inning single was his first major league hit. ... Dodgers RHP Zack Greinke (15-3, 2.75 ERA) will pitch at Petco Park for the first time since he sustained a broken left collarbone on April 11 during a brawl with Carlos Quentin, who was hit with a pitch and charged the mound. Quentin, who recently had knee surgery, is out of the season. ... RHP Andrew Cashner (10-8, 3.21) pitches for San Diego on Sunday. www.cheapjerseys forsale .net . In taking its goal tally to 99 in all competitions already this season, City delivered another demonstration of its lethal firepower at Etihad Stadium to set up a fourth-round match at home to another second-tier team -- Watford. http://www.cheapjerseysforsale.net/ . Barcelonas entertaining victory ensured the defending Spanish champions retained their share of the league lead with Atletico Madrid two rounds ahead of their meeting in the capital. Real Madrid needed a late goal by substitute Jese Rodriguez to earn a 3-2 victory at Valencia to stay in third place and three points behind its title rivals. http://www.cheapjerseysforsale.net/ . "We have always prided ourselves on the way we play defence. Having two big pieces back is going to be a key for us moving forward for years to come," said Knighthawks head coach Mike Hasen. www.cheapjerseysforsale.net .com) - Richie Incognito has reportedly been admitted to a psychiatric care unit in Arizona. cheapjerseysforsale . Louis Blues. Shane Hnidy joins Brian Munz for the broadcast on TSN 1290 Radio at 7pm ct. WASHINGTON -- With Washington off to a 2-5 start, coach Adam Oates made some changes before the Capitals game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night. Martin Erat wasted little time in making the adjustments pay off. The right wing, moved from the fourth line to the second, assisted on three Washington goals and Braden Holtby made 37 saves in the Capitals 4-1 win. Erat helped out on goals by new linemates Troy Brouwer and Brooks Laich, as well as on a power-play tally by Alex Ovechkin. "He was flying tonight," Ovechkin said of Erat. "He was the best player on the ice for us tonight. He shows who he is." Joel Ward opened the scoring with a power-play goal for the Capitals, who snapped a two-game skid and finished their five-game homestand 2-3. Coming off a 2-0 shutout Thursday against the Rangers, Oates dropped Mikhail Grabovski from the second line to the third and Eric Fehr from the third line to a part-time role on the fourth. Laich centred the second line, with Erat moving onto that group. "You know what, Martys a good hockey player, has been in this league," Oates said of Erat, a veteran who was acquired last year from Nashville but began the season on the fourth line and was scoreless coming in. "We lost a couple in a row, we had to make some changes, and he stepped in there and played great for us." Erat began play with 53 points in 57 regular-season games against Columbus, his highest point total against any team, and continued to punish the Blue Jackets. Afterward, he preferred to discuss the win rather than his increased ice time and performance. "Its nice to have a good game, but in the end its all about the wins, and we got the win and that is the bottom line," he said. Artem Anisimov spoiled Holtbys shutout at 15:05 of the third. "You can see how we play when he is on fire," Ovechkin said of Holtby. "We have a lot of confidence, especially when he makes a big save and we can see he feels the puck." Sergei Bobrovsky had 35 saves for the Blue Jackets, who have lost four straight. "We unraveled," Columbus coach Todd Richards said. "I think even after those first two goals, we started to go after them, but we werent good enough.dddddddddddd We got what we deserved. I think the chances were there." Washington went up 1-0 early in the second period thanks to its top-ranked power play. With the Blue Jackets Brandon Dubinsky off for tripping, Marcus Johansson made a nice pass in front to Ward, who one-timed it past Bobrovsky for his second goal of the year. Columbus peppered Holtby for several minutes to no avail. Then Washingtons Steve Olesky came down the right side and made a nice delaying move to get his shot off. Bobrovsky made the stop, but Laich shovelled the rebound home to make it 2-0 at the 7:43. Washington added some insurance in the third when Erat stole a pass in the Columbus zone and fed Brouwer in front. Bobrovsky made a point-blank save, but Brouwer got the rebound, moved to his right and put the puck past the fallen goaltender at 4:20. "They got that third (goal) and it just cracked us, I guess," Blue Jackets RJ Umberger said. "We turned the puck over. They capitalized on their chances tonight and we didnt." Just over two minutes later, with Washington on a power play, Ovechkin beat Bobrovsky with a one-timer from his familiar spot in the left circle for his seventh goal of the season. "As far as the third period, were letting each other down as far as our play in front of our goalie," Richards said. "Disappointing the way the game ended." The Capitals controlled play for much of a scoreless first period, when Bobrovsky made 14 saves. Columbus had an excellent chance when Ryan Johansen picked up a loose puck in the Washington zone midway through the period. He skated in alone on Holtby, but his shot hit the right post. NOTES: The Blue Jackets recalled F Jack Skille from the AHLs Springfield Falcons and assigned F Sean Collins to their AHL affiliate. ... Washington D John Erskine missed his fourth game (upper body injury) and C Jay Beagle was a healthy scratch. ... LW Nick Foligno, C Ryan Craig, and D Dalton Prout were the Columbus scratches. ... 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