The Arizona Diamondbacks opened a three-game set in San Diego on Friday, hoping to build on their series win in San Francisco. But the Padres chased Arizona starter Tyler Skaggs after three innings and Chase Headley hit two home runs, including the game-winner in the eighth inning to give San Diego a 6-5 over the D-backs.
Skaggs did not his best stuff. In the first inning, after Chris Denorfia and Logan Forsythe each singled to start things off, with one out Yasmani Grandal lined a double just inside the third-base line to score them both. In the third, Denorfia and Forsythe set the table again. Denorfia walked and Forsythe singled, then Chase Headley hit his 25th homer of the year to make the score 5-0.
He would retire the next three batters, but that would be the end of his night.
In the top of the fifth, Arizona finally got on the board. Miguel Montero singled up the middle, Chris Johnson got a hit off the glove of shortstop Everth Cabrera, then Ryan Wheeler, playing in the place of Paul Goldschmidt, who was under the weather, hit a blast that almost got to the right-field stands. It ended up as a double that drove in both Montero and Johnson to get the D-backs within three.
Cashner was able to retire the next three hitters to end the rally.
He would give way after that inning, giving way to the bullpen.
Ryan Wheeler would drive in a third run in the sixth inning, when he doubled with one out and Miguel Montero on first base, having reached base on a wild pitch when he struck out.
Then in the eighth inning, things got fun for Arizona. Adam Eaton had an infield hit to start things off. With one out, Jason Kubel walked. With two outs, Miguel Montero, who had already scored two runs on the night, doubled both runs, tying the score at 5-5 with a double to the right-center gap.
But Chase Headley would put the D-backs in their place to lead off the bottom of the eighth. With the count 3-1, he blasted a David Hernandez fastball for his second homer of the night to give the Padres a 6-5 lead.
Luke Gregerson retired the D-backs in the ninth for his fifth save of the year. Brad Brach (1-4) got the win. Hernandez took the loss, falling to 2-3.
The loss wasted an otherwise brilliant effort by the bullpen, who between Brad Bergeson, Josh Collmenter and Takashi Saito combined for four scoreless innings before the homer Hernandez allowed.
The win was the seventh straight by San Diego over Arizona.
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