Dodgers 4, Padres 3: Carl Crawford and A.J. Ellis homered and Chad Billingsley tossed six strong innings in his season debut as visiting Los Angeles staved off a late San Diego rally.

Crawford homered on the game’s second pitch from Eric Stults (1-1) and later tripled and scored in the fifth. A.J. Ellis hit a two-run homer in the second for the Dodgers, who have won four of their last five games.

Billingsley (1-0), who missed his first start with a bruised right finger, won his fifth straight season debut while allowing one run on five hits. Brandon League allowed two runs in the ninth before retiring Yonder Alonso on a fly ball with two runners on for his third save.

San Diego had a chance for a big inning in the fourth as Will Venable led off with a walk and scored when Chris Denorfia followed with a double. After Alonso walked, Jedd Gyorko hit into a double play and Alexi Amarista flied out to end the inning.

The Padres put two runners on base with one out in the eighth, but Kenley Jansen retired Gyorko and pinch-hitter Mark Kotsay to extinguish the threat. Skip Schumaker provided the game’s defensive highlight with a diving catch on Kotsay’s fly ball to shallow left field.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Alonso made a rare appearance at second base in the eighth inning after the Padres’ late-inning substitutions had Kotsay taking his usual spot at first base. Alonso also moved to third base for one batter during the inning. … Dodgers CF Matt Kemp went 2-for-5 and recorded his first multi-hit game of the season. …Hundley went 4-for-4 and increased his average to .318.