SAN DIEGO -- Trevor Hoffman recorded the 500th save of his career, preserving a 5-2 win for the San Diego Padres over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the middle test of a three-game set at Petco Park.

Hoffman worked around a leadoff double by Nomar Garciaparra to record his 18th save of the season and reach the unprecedented milestone.

Hoffman already holds the record for career saves, breaking Lee Smith's old mark of 478 last September.

Greg Maddux (5-3) got the win against his former team, allowing two runs on five hits over 6 1/3 frames. Geoff Blum knocked in four runs for San Diego, which has won four in a row.

"They started off with one Hall of Famer and finished with another," said Dodgers manager Grady Little.

Randy Wolf (7-4) was tagged with the loss after yielding five runs on eight hits in five innings for the Dodgers, who have dropped two straight. Jeff Kent homered and scored twice in a losing effort.

The Padres went in front in the second, as Blum hit a double to left that brought in both Kevin Kouzmanoff and Hiram Bocachica.

The home team added three more in the third to up the advantage to 5-0. With runners on first and second and two down, Bocachica roped a double to left that plated Adrian Gonzalez. Blum stepped in next and came through with a single to center that scored a pair.

L.A. got a run back in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Russell Martin, and Kent added a solo homer in the seventh to pull his club within three.

Heath Bell and Scott Linebrink combined for 1 2/3 shutout innings in relief, however, before Hoffman entered to his signature "Hell's Bells" in the ninth on his way to history.

"He set a standard where nobody's been before," said Padres manager Bud Black. "It starts with talent, but being prepared and the work ethic is what sets the great ones apart."

Game Notes

The Padres outhit the Dodgers, 9-6...The Padres stranded eight runners...Maddux owns a 15-7 record against LA...Wolf had never previously pitched at Petco Park.