Ellis' first Padres homer comes vs. former club

LOS ANGELES -- A.J. Ellis spent nine seasons playing his home games at Dodger Stadium. He made himself right at home during the Padres' 7-5 win on Saturday night.
In his first two at-bats against lefty Alex Wood, Ellis pounded out two hits, including a solo homer in the top of the fifth inning.
"It feels good to hit a home run anywhere, no matter what uniform you're in," Ellis said. "You hit a home run in the big leagues, it's a special feeling."
Saturday marked Ellis' second appearance at Dodger Stadium since he was dealt at the 2016 Trade Deadline. He went 1-for-4 here last May with the Marlins.
When Ellis entered the box in the top of the second, he received a mix of light applause and gentle boos from the Dodger Stadium crowd. He promptly swatted a single to left -- barreling the ball at 103 mph, according to Statcast™.
The boos grew louder three innings later when Ellis led off the frame by swatting a 398-foot blast into the Dodgers' bullpen, his first home run against the club that selected him in the 18th round of the 2003 Draft and his first for the Padres.
"They were booing because they wanted [the fan] to throw the ball back," Ellis quipped. "I've never been booed here in my life. They don't boo me here."

With a 2-for-4 night, Ellis increased his slash line to .315/.406/.444 as the Padres' backup catcher this season. He's served mostly in a platoon role, starting against left-handed pitching.
In the eyes of his teammates, the 37-year-old backstop is worth a whole lot more than those gaudy numbers.
"He's like the dad of the team," said Christian Villanueva, whose homers in the sixth and eighth innings keyed the Padres' come-from-behind win. "We're a young team, and to have him as an example, to see what he's doing at his age, with as many young players as we have, it's great. We have to take advantage of that.
"And we do. He's always helping, always giving advice, and I think that's something we can really benefit from."