Padres 5, Diamondbacks 1
SAN DIEGO - Ryan Gyorko and Will Venable hit back-to-back home runs and Edinson Volquez turned in a strong outing as the San Diego Padres earned a 5-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks before an announced crowd of 29,101 at Petco Park on Sunday.
Gyorko and Venable hit consecutive homers with two outs in the sixth and allowed San Diego to break up a one-run game. Gyorko hammered a 3-2 pitch into the upper deck in left for a two-run blast estimated at 426 feet before Venable followed with a solo shot that barely reached the seats in right.
For Volquez (3-3), it was his third consecutive victory. Volquez held the Diamondbacks (16-15) to a run and four hits in 6 2/3 innings with three walks and three strikeouts on 94 pitches.
Arizona starter Ian Kennedy, who entered the game with a 3-0 mark and a 1.13 ERA at Petco, gave up two runs on three hits in the first inning, but kept the Padres quiet until Gyorko's homer. Venable's chased him with his homer. Kennedy (1-3) gave up five runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings. He threw 111 pitches.
The Padres (13-18), who took two of three in the series, scored twice in the first inning. Chase Headley, who extended his hitting streak to 10 games, singled home Everth Cabrera for a run, and Yonder Alonso drove in Chris Denorfia with a sacrifice fly to left for a 2-0 lead.
Didi Gregorius, who hadn't played since being hit in the head with a pitch by Josh Outman of the Rockies on April 26, led off the third by driving a 2-1 pitch by Volquez into the right-field bleachers to cut the lead to 2-1. Gregorius went 2-for-3 and is batting .433.
NOTES: San Diego has won 11 of its last 15 contests against Arizona. ... The Padres activated right-handed pitcher Tyson Ross from the 15-day disabled list and placed left-handed starter Clayton Richard, who got shelled Saturday night by the Diamondbacks, on the DL with an intestinal virus. Ross will pitch out of the bullpen. ... By scoring a run, the Diamondbacks extended their run as the only Major League Baseball club that hasn't been shut out. ... The Padres continue their homestand with a three-game set against the Miami Marlins, beginning Monday. The Diamondbacks head north to Los Angeles, where they will play the Dodgers for three games starting Monday.
