It was Gordon's third hit of the night. He also walked twice, stole three bases and scored twice.

Gordon was 1 for 10 in the first two games.

"His demeanor doesn't really change," manager Don Mattingly said. "He's upbeat, he's confident. I've been saying it all spring, this kid can hit. Really, he's just about playing the game and winning games. The first two games he got one hit, I think, and it was like nothing had changed."

A.J. Ellis, who homered in the fourth, started the winning rally with a leadoff single off Anthony Bass (0-1) and was sacrificed by Justin Sellers. With two outs, Gordon singled down the right field line to bring in Ellis from second.

"I was trying to see something up that I could hit up the middle and I was able to put the bat on the ball," said Gordon, who this year made his first Opening Day roster.

"I just want to get on, help these guys as much as possible, anyway I can."

Todd Coffey (1-0) pitched the 10th for the win and Javy Guerra pitched the 11th for his second save in as many chances.

"Gordon had a good night," Padres manager Bud Black said. "He had a few hits. He's playing a good shortstop. The Dodgers think a lot of this guy and it looks as though it's his time to take that starting role and run with it."

The Padres scored five runs during a Dodgers pitching meltdown in the fifth. Three Dodgers pitchers combined to walk five, throw one wild pitch, hit a batter and allow two hits.

Chris Capuano took a 5-0 lead into the fifth in his Dodgers debut but didn't finish the inning. He loaded the bases with two outs before walking Chase Headley to force in a run and bring out Mattingly with the hook. Capuano walked three that inning.

Jamey Wright came on and threw eight straight balls, issuing consecutive bases-loaded walks to Jesus Guzman and Nick Hundley, bringing the Padres to 5-3. Scott Elbert came on and threw a wild pitch that brought in Headley, and then hit Yonder Alonso with a pitch to load the bases again. Orlando Hudson singled in the tying run before the Dodgers finally got the third out by catching Hundley in a rundown.

"Well, you know, obviously you can't do a whole lot when you're not throwing strikes," Mattingly said. "It was a frustrating inning. It's not like they were hitting the ball around."

The Padres said the only other time they had three straight bases-loaded walks was in the fourth inning on April 5, 1984, against Pittsburgh, based on research by the Elias Sports Bureau.

Capuano allowed four runs on two hits and five walks in 4 2/3 innings while striking out four.

Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier each drove in two runs against Padres starter Dustin Moseley.

Kemp, last year's NL MVP runner-up, and Ethier each have six RBIs after three games. Kemp hit a sacrifice fly in the first inning and added an RBI single to center in the third. Ethier followed with a two-run double to center field to make it 4-0.

Ellis hit a solo homer to left with one out in the fourth, his first, for a 5-0 lead.

Moseley allowed five hits and five runs in five innings, struck out four and walked two.

Game notes
The Dodgers have beaten the Padres in 13 of 15 games dating to July 8. ... The Dodgers haven't opened 3-0 since sweeping the Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium from April 5-7, 1999. They last time they won four games to being the year was 1981, when the eventual World Series champions started 6-0. ... Before the game, the Padres honored coach Steve Fisher and the San Diego State basketball team, which won its second straight Mountain West Conference regular-season championship and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the third straight season. Senior forward Tim Shelton threw out the ceremonial first pitch. ... The series concludes Sunday afternoon with L.A.'s Aaron Harang, who was with San Diego last year, scheduled to face Padres lefty Clayton Richard.