Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Ian Kennedy pitched seven solid innings and the Diamondbacks used a balanced offensive attack to defeat the reeling San Diego Padres, 7-4, in the second of three games at Chase Field.
Padres Drop Another To D-Backs, NL West Lead Cut To Four Games
Kennedy (9-9) allowed three runs on seven hits with five strikeouts for the Diamondbacks, who have won two straight and five of their last six games overall. Mark Reynolds hit a two-run homer while Miguel Montero and Gerardo Parra both finished with two RBI in the victory.
Starting pitcher Kevin Correia suffered the loss for the Padres, who have dropped six straight games and saw their lead atop the NL West fall to four games over San Francisco. The Giants beat the Rockies on Tuesday night.
Correia (10-10) was charged with six runs on six hits to go along with six strikeouts and three walks in 4 1/3 frames. Nick Hundley contributed two runs batted in for San Diego.
Trailing by one run, the Diamondbacks moved ahead for good with five runs in the bottom of the fifth. Kennedy drew a leadoff walk and moved to second when Stephen Drew singled. A groundout moved both runners up one base and a walk to Kelly Johnson loaded the bases.
A single by Chris Young scored Kennedy, chasing Correia, and, with the bags still loaded, a ground-rule double off the bat of Montero gave Arizona a 5-3 lead. Reynolds was then intentionally walked, which again filled the bases, and Parra's two-run single into center field allowed Young and Montero to cross the plate and capped the uprising.
Kennedy got three straight groundouts in the top of the sixth and worked out of trouble in the seventh. With runners on the corners and one out, Kennedy fanned Miguel Tejada and got Adrian Gonzalez to fly out.
After Blaine Boyer pitched an easy eighth inning for Arizona, Sam Demel found trouble to start the top of the ninth. Demel yielded a leadoff walk to Everth Cabrera, who then scored when Hundley doubled to the gap in left-center.
That brought Juan Gutierrez onto the mound. The right-hander struck out Scott Hairston and induced consecutive groundouts by David Eckstein and Tejada.
Gutierrez notched his fifth save.
The Padres scored twice in the top of the first inning. With Tejada on first base and one out, Gonzalez doubled to left field and Tejada scored. The next batter was Ryan Ludwick, whose single plated Gonzalez.
A two-run blast by Reynolds, his 32nd home run of the season, tied the score in the bottom of the second. Montero singled leading off and trotted home when Reynolds drilled a fastball over the wall in right-center field.
Hundley’s RBI double in the fourth gave the visitors a 3-2 advantage.
Correia lost his third straight decision...The Padres, who still lead the season series with the D’Backs by a 10-7 margin, have lost six of the eight games played in Phoenix...Gonzalez has 87 RBI this season.
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