Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - Miguel Tejada and Ryan Ludwick each drove in a pair of runs as the San Diego Padres took a 7-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers to avoid a three-game sweep.
Padres Snap Two-Game Slide, Increase Lead In NL West With A 7-3 Win Over Brewers
David Eckstein went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI while Luis Durango also scored twice for the Padres, who had dropped the first two games of the set after winning their previous five. Jon Garland (13-8) got the win as he gave up just two runs on eight hits with three walks and four strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings.
San Diego holds a six-game lead over San Francisco for first place in the NL West.
“It was nice to come through for Jon today,” said Ludwick. “Any time you break it open a little bit and get a lead like that for this staff, it’s pretty much over. This was a great road trip and it’s been tremendous for me to come over here.”
Ryan Braun's two-run home run and RBI single accounted for the offense for the Brewers, who had won four straight coming in. Manny Parra (3-10) lost his fifth game in his past eight starts as he was tagged for seven runs on eight hits with four walks and five strikeouts over six innings of work.
“My fastball was terrible all day,” said Parra. “That’s what came back to bite me. I fell behind and couldn’t locate my pitches and that’s what happened.”
San Diego got solo homers from Adrian Gonzalez in the first and Chase Headley in the second to grab a 2-0 lead.
In the fifth, Ludwick’s two-run double moved the Padres into a 4-0 advantage.
Milwaukee, though, cut its deficit in half in the fifth as Rickie Weeks singled to lead off the frame, and Braun later hit it out of the park to left- center to make it a 4-2 contest.
However, the Padres got those runs back and more in the sixth. With two outs, Durango worked a walk and Garland followed with a single. Eckstein’s single scored one and Tejada followed with a two-run double for a 7-2 lead.
Milwaukee loaded the bases with one out in the sixth, but Luke Gregerson took the mound and got Rickie Weeks to hit into a 1-2-3 double play to end the frame.
Gregerson worked a scoreless seventh inning while Tim Stauffer threw a 1-2-3 eighth.
Weeks hit a one-out double in the ninth off Edward Mujica and came home when Braun later punched a single to right to account for the final score.
San Diego takes on Arizona for three games starting on Tuesday...The Brewers host the Dodgers for three games beginning on Tuesday...The Padres took four of the seven games against Milwaukee this season...Garland has won his past three starts and improved to 3-0 lifetime against Milwaukee
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