LOS ANGELES (AP) -- If it weren't for playing the Los Angeles

Dodgers, the San Diego Padres might be lagging in the NL West.

Thanks to their domination of the Dodgers, the Padres instead

are a half-game up in the division, passing Los Angeles with a 2-1

victory Sunday.

Elias Says
Terrmel Sledge snapped a 1-1 tie with a pinch-hit, ninth-inning single to give the Padres a 2-1 win at Los Angeles. It was the fifth pinch-hit game-winner for the Padres this season, matching the Marlins for the most in the majors. • For more Elias Says, Click here

San Diego has won eight of the last nine meetings. The Padres

are 13-4 overall against Los Angeles and 7-1 at Dodger Stadium.

"There's no rhyme or reason to it," Padres manager Bruce Bochy

said.

Chris Young pitched one-hit ball for six innings, pinch-hitter

Terrmel Sledge singled home the go-ahead run in the ninth and

Trevor Hoffman earned his 475th career save.

"They seem to get the big hits and pitch the big innings when

they need them," said the Dodgers' Derek Lowe, who held San Diego

to Russell Branyan's solo homer over seven innings.

The Padres, atop the division for the first time since Aug. 9,

go for their third straight win in the four-game set on Monday

night at Dodger Stadium, their final regular-season meeting.

The Dodgers won the opener 3-1 behind Greg Maddux, and the

Padres bounced back with an 11-2 victory on Saturday night.

"We don't want them to win three out of four at our park,"

Lowe said. "We need to play the last game as if it's a must-win."

Branyan agreed, from the Padres' perspective.

"We're in first place by a half a game, and tomorrow's game

really separates the men from the boys, I believe," he said. "If

we can go up a game and a half with 14 games left in the season,

we'll be looking pretty good."

Bochy figures the race will remain tight down the stretch.

"We're right there. We know it," he said. "It's neck and

neck. It's great to get this one. To come back after a tough loss

and win two straight is big."

Los Angeles manager Grady Little also believes it will gone down

to the wire.

"It was a tight game in a tight pennant race -- and it's going

to remain that way," he said.

While the Dodgers dropped out of the division lead, they are one

game ahead of Philadelphia for the wild card.

Sledge singled to right off Jonathon Broxton to score

pinch-runner Khalil Greene from second base. Josh Bard singled with

one out, Greene came into the game and Geoff Blum walked.

With the bases loaded, Broxton (3-1) struck out Brian Giles and

retired Josh Barfield on a foul pop to keep the Dodgers within one

run.

Scott Linebrink (7-3) shut out Los Angeles in the eighth, and

Hoffman pitched the ninth for his 39th save in 43 chances, and his

career total is just three shy of Lee Smith's major league record.

After Chris Young held the Dodgers to one hit during his six

shutout innings, Russell Martin homered off Cla Meredith with one

out in the seventh to tie it at 1.

Martin's shot over the fence in center was his ninth of the

season and ended Meredith's franchise-record string of 34 scoreless

innings. The San Diego reliever hadn't allowed a run in 28

appearances dating to July 17.

After the game, Meredith wasn't too concerned with his streak.

"I can look at it and praise myself, but there's a lot more

important things going on right now -- including this afternoon and

the way we won that ballgame," he said. "So as long as things

like that are happening, there's no way I'll be able to reflect on

anything personal right now."

Branyan hit his fourth homer with two out in the sixth to break

a scoreless tie.

The lone hit allowed by Young, who has been sensational on the

road this year, was Kenny Lofton's infield single in the third.

Young walked five and struck out four.

Although he did not get a decision, Young remained unbeaten in

his last 23 road starts going back to a loss on June 20 of last

year with the Texas Rangers. He's 9-0 on the road since that

defeat, including 6-0 this year.

Lowe scattered seven hits, walked one and struck out nine -- one

more than his previous high this year and one less than his career

best.Game notes
Dodgers 1B Nomar Garciaparra, recovering from a strained

left quad, was not in the starting lineup, but pinch-hit in the

ninth, striking out. He's expected to be back in the lineup on

Monday. ... The Padres stacked their lineup with left-handed

hitters against Lowe. Excluding switch-hitters Bard and Blum, the

only right-handed hitters in their starting lineup were Mike

Cameron and Young.