SAN DIEGO, Oct. 31 (UPI) — Josh Byrnes was promoted to executive vice president and general manager of the San Diego Padres Monday.

Byrnes had been the National League club’s senior vice president of baseball operations since December. He succeeds Jed Hoyer, who became general manager of the Chicago Cubs last week.

“Josh is one of the most respected and credentialed baseball executives in the game,” said Jeff Moorad, the Padres’ vice chairman and chief executive officer. “His proven record and extensive background in scouting and player development make a great fit for continuing the same focus that we’ve had for two years.”

Byrnes previously worked in the front offices of the Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Boston Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks.

SAN DIEGO – By the time Matt Kemp bats in the last game of the regular season Wednesday night he hopes to be ready to enter some of the rarest territory in baseball.

In a quiet way, Kemp catapulted himself toward a possible Triple Crown run with a productive September. But after a tough three-game series against the San Diego Padres over the weekend, Kemp’s quest has become a lot more difficult.

Although Kemp has a comfortable lead in RBIs (119) and is tied with St. Louis’ Albert Pujols in home runs (37), the Dodgers’ slugger has fallen nine points behind Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun in the NL batting race. If Kemp is to become the first player to win the Triple Crown since Boston’s Carl Yastrzemski in 1967 and the first NL player since St. Louis’ Ducky Medwick in 1937, he will have to pick up the pace in Phoenix in the final three games.

“I know it will take a lot to go past (Braun),” Kemp said. “I’m not going to try for hits, but I’m going to just keep doing what I have been doing and that is take good hacks and stay within myself.”

Kemp, who went 3 for 13 against the Padres at pitcher-friendly Petco Park, is at .324 while Braun is at .333.

Los Angeles manager Don Mattingly, a former AL MVP and lifetime .307 hitter with the Yankees, thinks Kemp has a shot, although it will take an exceptional combination of circumstances.

“One guy has to kind of collapse and the other guy catches fire,” Mattingly said. “You kind of need one of those 5-for-5 days and the other guy has to go 1 for 5. But we have seen Matt get hot before.”

Kemp’s torrid six-game stretch of multiple hit games leading into the San Diego series got him back in the Triple Crown conversation. Kemp was hitting .321 on Sept. 1 but trailed New York’s Jose Reyes (.335) and Braun (.331). Two weeks later, his average had dropped to .314.

But then on Sept. 16, Kemp began his multihit barrage with 15 hits in six games that culminated with a 4-for-5 performance in the Dodgers’ final home game Thursday. That raised his average to .326, four points behind Braun.

“If I have any chance at getting there, my mindset, my approach can’t change,” Kemp said. “I’m not going to be trying to hit home runs or worrying about hits. Once I start to do that, that’s when I lose my focus and I won’t be successful. I have to stay focused and do the same things that have gotten me to where I am at right now.”

Through it all, Kemp has kept his sense of humour.

“Someone was screaming at me when I went to bat, ‘Braun got two hits. Forget about it, man,’” Kemp said after Sunday’s game at San Diego. “I just started laughing. He’s actually one of my favourite players.”

One thing Kemp promises is this: He won’t think about trying to smash the ball. He hasn’t done it all season and won’t do it now.

“I’m not going to change it up. I just have to relax. When I try to hit home runs and hit too hard, I’m not too successful.”

If Kemp somehow pulls off this Triple Crown, Mattingly thinks the feat will have big implications.

“Just look at the game of baseball,” Mattingly said. “The last time it was done was ’67. Right there that tells you a lot. A lot of great players have come through the league and done a lot of good things. But to be able to put this combination together is huge.”

Heath Bell, the Padres’ 33-year-old closer, marvels at the difficulty of a Triple Crown.

“Think of it this way — 1967. That was 10 years before I was even born, and I’m not one of the young guys in the league,” he said. “He’d be doing something that none of the great players in the last 40-some years did. That’s pretty mind blowing, pretty impressive.”

Said Dodgers pitcher Ted Lilly: “It would be an unreal ending to what has already been a great year. Just on its own, this season has been tremendous. Now you add the Triple Crown and that puts it in a completely different category all by itself.”

Kemp has hit well at Chase Field, where he has a career average of .304 with seven homers and 19 RBIs in 148 at-bats.

“It would be unbelievable if I could do this,” Kemp said.

DENVER — Rookie Anthony Bass pitched five solid innings to help the San Diego Padres complete a rare three-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies with a 4-0 win Wednesday in the final game of the season at Coors Field.

Bass (2-0) cruised through this game, allowing just two hits andd throwing an economical 52 pitches before leaving after a leadoff walk in the sixth. Both of his major league wins have now come at Colorado.

Anthony Rizzo and Andy Parrino had RBI singles for the Padres, who earned their first sweep of three or more games in Denver since April 2001.

The reeling Rockies have dropped seven straight at home, their longest drought ever at Coors. The team lost nine in a row at home in their inaugural season of 1993 when they played at old Mile High Stadium.

Aaron Cook (3-10) settled down after a rough first inning in which he surrendered four runs. He tied a career high with eight strikeouts before being pulled after the fifth in what might have been his last start for the Rockies at home.

The sinkerball specialist has had a tough season in the final year of his contract.

And given the disappointing season by the Rockies — a trendy pick to win the NL West in spring training — the team could be looking to drastically shake things up. Cook is the team’s all-time leader in wins (72), innings pitched (1,312 1-3) and starts (206).

Colorado had All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki back in the lineup after he missed a week with a sore left hip. He flied out twice before being pulled in the sixth inning.

That was part of Rockies manager Jim Tracy’s plan. He didn’t want to overwork Tulowitzki and risk further injury.

Tracy also played it safe with first baseman Todd Helton (back) and outfielder Carlos Gonzalez (right wrist) as he held them out of the lineup Wednesday.

The 23-year-old Bass made his major league debut in this stadium on June 13. Right after picking up his first win, he was sent back to Double-A San Antonio.

But Bass soon returned and has been solid in 24 relief appearances for the Padres. He was pitching well enough Wednesday to keep going but hasn’t thrown more than 45 pitches in a game since mid July.

After allowing a walk to Chris Iannetta to start the sixth, Bass was lifted for reliever Ernesto Frieri, who gave up a single before retiring the side.

Heath Bell was summoned into the game in the ninth with runners on first and third and one out. He struck out pinch-hitter Ty Wigginton and Seth Smith to earn his 41st save in 46 chances.

The Padres played solid defense behind Bass, starting with center fielder Cameron Maybin’s leaping catch up against the wall in the second to rob Smith of an extra-base hit. The team also turned a double play in the fifth to avoid what could’ve been a sticky inning.

San Diego jumped on Cook early, sending nine batters to the plate in a four-run first frame. Chase Headley and Alberto Gonzalez each had sacrifice flies, while Rizzo and Parrino added RBI singles.

DENVER (AP) — Rookie Anthony Bass pitched five solid innings to help the San Diego Padres complete a rare three-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies with a 4-0 win Wednesday in the final game of the season at Coors Field. Bass (2-0) cruised through this game, allowing just two hits andd throwing an economical 52 pitches before leaving after a leadoff walk in the sixth. Both of his major league wins have now come at Colorado. Anthony Rizzo and Andy Parrino had RBI singles for the Padres, who earned their first sweep of three or more games in Denver since April 2001. The reeling Rockies have dropped seven straight at home, their longest drought ever at Coors. The team lost nine in a row at home in their inaugural season of 1993 when they played at old Mile High Stadium. Aaron Cook (3-10) settled down after a rough first inning in which he surrendered four runs. He tied a career high with eight strikeouts before being pulled after the fifth in what might have been his last start for the Rockies at home. The sinkerball specialist has had a tough season in the final year of his contract. And given the disappointing season by the Rockies — a trendy pick to win the NL West in spring training — the team could be looking to drastically shake things up. Cook is the team’s all-time leader in wins (72), innings pitched (1,312 1-3) and starts (206). Colorado had All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki back in the lineup after he missed a week with a sore left hip. He flied out twice before being pulled in the sixth inning. That was part of Rockies manager Jim Tracy’s plan. He didn’t want to overwork Tulowitzki and risk further injury. Tracy also played it safe with first baseman Todd Helton (back) and outfielder Carlos Gonzalez (right wrist) as he held them out of the lineup Wednesday. The 23-year-old Bass made his major league debut in this stadium on June 13. Right after picking up his first win, he was sent back to Double-A San Antonio. But Bass soon returned and has been solid in 24 relief appearances for the Padres. He was pitching well enough Wednesday to keep going but hasn’t thrown more than 45 pitches in a game since mid July. After allowing a walk to Chris Iannetta to start the sixth, Bass was lifted for reliever Ernesto Frieri, who gave up a single before retiring the side. Heath Bell was summoned into the game in the ninth with runners on first and third and one out. He struck out pinch-hitter Ty Wigginton and Seth Smith to earn his 41st save in 46 chances. The Padres played solid defense behind Bass, starting with center fielder Cameron Maybin’s leaping catch up against the wall in the second to rob Smith of an extra-base hit. The team also turned a double play in the fifth to avoid what could’ve been a sticky inning. San Diego jumped on Cook early, sending nine batters to the plate in a four-run first frame. Chase Headley and Alberto Gonzalez each had sacrifice flies, while Rizzo and Parrino added RBI singles. Cook finally escaped the inning by striking out Bass on a slider. Later in the game, Cook was hit in the rear by a liner. He took a few warmup pitches before motioning to Tracy and the trainer that he was all right to continue. Cook has been with the Rockies for the last 10 seasons. He started a game for the Rockies in the 2007 World Series and another in the ’09 postseason. He also pitched in the ’08 All-Star Game. “I hope it isn’t his last start,” Tulowitzki said. “He’s meant so much to this organization.” NOTES: Rockies RHP Alex White, who was acquired in the Ubaldo Jimenez trade with Cleveland, will throw Thursday in Houston against Henry Sosa. … The Padres are off Thursday before starting a six-game homestand to close out the season. … Padres 1B Jesus Guzman was a late scratch due to a sore neck. … With his performance against the Rockies, Bass lowered his ERA to 1.66.. … The Rockies and Padres wound up 9-9 in the season series.

Luebke took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, leading the San Diego Padres to an 8-2 victory against the slumping Rockies.

“He had a little bit extra on his fastball, a little bit more carry in the hitting area,” Colorado manager Jim Tracy said. “He did a pretty good job of wiggling out of several 3-0 counts and that didn’t help the situation just due to the fact that we weren’t able to get any runners on base.”

Cameron Maybin and Aaron Cunningham homered for San Diego, which has won three of four. Maybin, Cunningham and Jason Bartlett had two hits apiece.

Mark Ellis homered for Colorado’s only hit of the game. The Rockies have lost five straight and six of seven.

“We obviously don’t have some of our best players out there,” Ellis said. “The guys that are out there are playing hard. We’re not winning a lot of games.”

Luebke (6-9) struck out a career-high nine in seven innings, yielding two runs and one hit. The left-hander was 0-2 with a 5.48 ERA in nine career games against the Rockies before Monday night.

Tracy was quick to point out there were a different set of circumstances this time that left them vulnerable to Luebke.

“With what we have out there right now offensively, when you dig a seven-run hole, you can’t ask some of these young kids to do the things that are necessary when you get down that quickly,” Tracy said. “That is somewhat of an insurmountable task when you look around that field and see the number of young kids that we have out there.”

Colorado shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (left hip), first baseman Todd Helton (back) and outfielder Carlos Gonzalez (right wrist) were out of the lineup.

The Padres have never thrown a no-hitter in their 43-year history, and 19 times they’ve held an opponent hitless into the eighth. The last time was July 9 when five pitchers held the Los Angeles Dodgers hitless through 8 2-3 innings before Juan Uribe broke it up with a double.

Luebke tried to become the first pitcher in franchise history to accomplish the feat. He retired 12 straight at one point through five innings. He got Chris Nelson to line out to open the sixth before walking Eric Young Jr.

Luebke momentarily preserved the no-hitter in the sixth when he slid to grab Dexter Fowler’s slow roller near the mound and threw out the speedy outfielder at first for the second out of the inning.

One batter later, Ellis belted a two-run drive to left-center that made it 8-2.

“Everybody knows he’s throwing a no-hitter,” Ellis said. “You don’t really think about it until you get to the seventh inning.”

Ernesto Frieri pitched two innings to finish the game.

The Padres jumped on Kevin Millwood (3-3) early. They grabbed the lead in the second on three straight singles and made it 3-0 in the fourth on RBI singles by Bartlett and Kyle Blanks.

San Diego broke it open in the fourth and chased Millwood. Jeremy Hermida led off with a walk and scored on Cunningham’s homer to left-center, his second.

One out later, Luebke singled to right and Maybin hit the first pitch he saw into the right-field bleachers for his ninth homer.

Jim Miller relieved Millwood and got the final two outs of the inning.

Millwood allowed seven runs, six earned, and nine hits.

“It was a bad night,” Millwood said. “I pitched bad.”

NOTES: Tulowitzki has missed six straight games and eight of the past 10. Helton has missed six consecutive games and 12 of the past 14. Gonzalez missed his fourth game in a row. … Padres INF Jesus Guzman (sore neck) was not in the lineup. … The Padres will send RHP Matt Latos to the mound against RHP Jhoulys Chacin in the second game of the series Tuesday.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Read More: Mark Ellis (2B – COL), Kevin Millwood (P – COL), Cory Luebke (P – SDP), San Diego Padres, Colorado Rockies

The Colorado Rockies will finish with a below-.500 record at Coors Field this season after Monday’ 8-2 loss to the San Diego Padres. Just as 2011 as has gone the last several weeks, the Rockies looked inept out there while playing in their 41st home loss.

Cory Luebke (6-9, 3.23 ERA) allowed his only hit of the game in the sixth inning when Mark Ellis hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning. Eric Young Jr. had reached base two batters earlier. Luebke struck out nine over seven innings. Ernesto Frieri struck out three Rockies over the final two innings of the game.

Kevin Millwood (3-3, 4.56 ERA) had his shortest and worst outing as a Rockie. The first three runs scored on singles in the second and things innings, but in the fourth Aaron Cunningham hit a two-run home run to make the game 5-0 in favor of the Padres. Cameron Maybin then followed in the dame inning with his own two-run home run. Jason Bartlett’s sacrifice fly made it 8-0 in favor of the Padres.

The Rockies (70-83, 38-41 home) have two more home games left. Jhoulys Chacin and Mat Latos take the mound on Tuesday evening.

For more on the Rockies, visit Purple Row. Check out Gaslamp Ball for more on the Padres.

DENVER (AP) — Cory Luebke took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, Cameron Maybin and Aaron Cunningham homered and the San Diego Padres beat the slumping Colorado Rockies 8-2 Monday night.

Mark Ellis homered for Colorado’s only hit of the game. The Rockies have lost five straight and six of seven.

Colorado shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (left hip), first baseman Todd Helton (back) and outfielder Carlos Gonzalez (right wrist) were out of the lineup.

Maybin, Cunningham and Jason Bartlett had two hits each for San Diego, which has won three of four.

The Padres have never thrown a no-hitter in their 43-year history, and 19 times they’ve held an opponent hitless into the eighth. The last time was July 9 when five pitchers held the Los Angeles Dodgers hitless through 8 2-3 innings before Juan Uribe broke it up with a double.

Luebke (6-9) tried to become the first pitcher in franchise history to accomplish the feat. He walked three and retired 12 straight at one point through five innings. He got Chris Nelson to line out to open the sixth before walking Eric Young Jr.

Luebke momentarily preserved the no-hitter in the sixth when he slid to grab Dexter Fowler’s slow roller near the mound and threw out the speedy outfielder at first for the second out of the inning.

One batter later, Ellis ended the no-hit bid with a two-run homer to left-center that made it 8-2.

Luebke was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the eighth. He struck out a career-high nine.

Ernesto Frieri pitched two hitless innings to finish the game.

The Padres jumped on Kevin Millwood (3-3) early. They took a 1-0 lead in the second on three straight singles and made it 3-0 in the fourth on RBI singles by Bartlett and Kyle Blanks.

San Diego broke it open in the fourth and chased Millwood. Jeremy Hermida led off with a walk and scored on Cunningham’s homer to left-center, his second.

One out later, Luebke singled to right and Maybin hit the first pitch he saw into the right-field bleachers for his ninth homer to make it 7-0.

Jim Miller relieved Millwood and got the final two outs of the inning.

Millwood allowed seven runs — six earned — and nine hits. He struck out one.

NOTES: Tulowitzki has missed six straight games and eight of the past 10. Helton has missed six consecutive games and 12 of the past 14. Gonzalez missed his fourth game in a row. … Padres INF Jesus Guzman (sore neck) was not in the lineup. … The Padres will send RHP Matt Latos to the mound against Colorado RHP Jhoulys Chacin in the second game of the series Tuesday.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Arizona maintained a five-game lead over second-place San Francisco with nine games remaining, stopping a three-game losing streak. The Diamondbacks open a nine-game homestand Monday against Pittsburgh, then host the Giants for a three-game series next weekend.

“When you go on a little stretch and you get a little antsy like that, you start to press a little bit,” Saunders said. “You just need to relax. When you relax, things come easier to you. I think that’s what happened. They didn’t try to do to much and we just played our game.”

San Francisco kept the pressure on the Diamondbacks with its eighth straight win, 12-5 at Colorado.

“It’s been a couple of days, so it’s a good feeling,” Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said. “Every victory at this point of the season is great. The Giants have been playing great and are on a big winning streak. We needed to match that and take care of our own business.”

Saunders (12-12) wanted to make sure he did his job at Petco Park, where he has pitched his best games this season.

The lefty limited last-place San Diego to an unearned run and seven hits in 8 2-3 innings, improving to 3-1 with a 1.47 ERA against the Padres this year. He threw his only complete game this season in a 6-1 win at San Diego on July 26.

“I came in this morning and decided I need to go out there and throw my ‘A’ game,” Saunders said. “We got some clutch hits down the stretch. We’re grinding it out. It was a good win for us.”

After Saunders allowed two-out singles by Kyle Blanks and Alberto Gonzalez in the ninth, J.J. Putz struck out pinch-hitter Nick Hundley for his 41st save in 45 chances.

Goldschmidt led the Arizona offense, which managed just three runs during the losing streak. Goldschmidt had three hits, including a leadoff homer in the sixth that put the Diamondbacks ahead for good at 2-1.

“We just couldn’t get to Joe Saunders,” Padres manager Bud Black said. “His assortment of fastballs in, fastballs down and away. We just couldn’t get enough balls squared against him.”

Aaron Harang (13-7) allowed two runs and eight hits in six innings. He has lost four of his last five starts despite a 3.19 ERA in that span.

Cameron Maybin had a leadoff single in the third, stole second, took third on Miguel Montero’s throwing error from behind the plate and scored on Jason Bartlett’s groundout.

Montero’s 17th homer tied the score leading off the fourth. Goldschmidt put the Diamondbacks ahead 2-1 with a leadoff homer in the sixth.

“It was just a first-pitch fastball up and away,” Goldschmidt said. “He likes to get ahead with fastballs, so I was looking for it.”

Goldschmidt combined with Aaron Hill for RBI singles in the seventh against Brad Brach and added a sacrifice fly against Erik Hamren in the eighth.

NOTES: Arizona was 11-7 against San Diego, which is 23-43 against the NL West. … RHP Ian Kennedy (19-4, 2.99 ERA) will attempt to become the NL’s first 20-game winner this season Monday when he faces Pittsburgh RHP Jeff Karstens (9-8, 3.45). … San Diego LHP Corey Luebke (5-9, 3.27) will start the opener of a three-game series, the club’s final road games, at Colorado against RHP Kevin Millwood (3-2, 3.68).

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

CBSSports.com wire reports
Sep. 18, 2011

SAN DIEGO — With the San Francisco Giants getting hot, the Arizona Diamondbacks know they have to keep winning.

Joe Saunders took a five-hitter into the ninth inning, Paul Goldschmidt drove in three runs and the Diamondbacks beat the San Diego Padres 5-1 Sunday to cut the magic number to five for their first NL West title since 2007.

Arizona maintained a five-game lead over second-place San Francisco with nine games remaining, stopping a three-game losing streak. The Diamondbacks open a nine-game homestand Monday against Pittsburgh, then host the Giants for a three-game series next weekend.

“When you go on a little stretch and you get a little antsy like that, you start to press a little bit,” Saunders said. “You just need to relax. When you relax, things come easier to you. I think that’s what happened. They didn’t try to do to much and we just played our game.”

San Francisco kept the pressure on the Diamondbacks with its eighth straight win, 12-5 at Colorado.

“It’s been a couple of days, so it’s a good feeling,” Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said. “Every victory at this point of the season is great. The Giants have been playing great and are on a big winning streak. We needed to match that and take care of our own business.”

Saunders (12-12) wanted to make sure he did his job at Petco Park, where he has pitched his best games this season.

The lefty limited last-place San Diego to an unearned run and seven hits in 8 2/3 innings, improving to 3-1 with a 1.47 ERA against the Padres this year. He threw his only complete game this season in a 6-1 win at San Diego on July 26.

“I came in this morning and decided I need to go out there and throw my `A’ game,” Saunders said. “We got some clutch hits down the stretch. We’re grinding it out. It was a good win for us.”

After Saunders allowed two-out singles by Kyle Blanks and Alberto Gonzalez in the ninth, J.J. Putz struck out pinch-hitter Nick Hundley for his 41st save in 45 chances.

Goldschmidt led the Arizona offense, which managed just three runs during the losing streak. Goldschmidt had three hits, including a leadoff homer in the sixth that put the Diamondbacks ahead for good at 2-1.

“We just couldn’t get to Joe Saunders,” Padres manager Bud Black said. “His assortment of fastballs in, fastballs down and away. We just couldn’t get enough balls squared against him.”

Aaron Harang (13-7) allowed two runs and eight hits in six innings. He has lost four of his last five starts despite a 3.19 ERA in that span.

Cameron Maybin had a leadoff single in the third, stole second, took third on Miguel Montero’s throwing error from behind the plate and scored on Jason Bartlett’s groundout.

Montero’s 17th homer tied the score leading off the fourth. Goldschmidt put the Diamondbacks ahead 2-1 with a leadoff homer in the sixth.

“It was just a first-pitch fastball up and away,” Goldschmidt said. “He likes to get ahead with fastballs, so I was looking for it.”

Goldschmidt combined with Aaron Hill for RBI singles in the seventh against Brad Brach and added a sacrifice fly against Erik Hamren in the eighth.

Notes

• Arizona was 11-7 against San Diego, which is 23-43 against the NL West.
• RHP Ian Kennedy (19-4, 2.99 ERA) will attempt to become the NL’s first 20-game winner this season Monday when he faces Pittsburgh RHP Jeff Karstens (9-8, 3.45).
• San Diego LHP Corey Luebke (5-9, 3.27) will start the opener of a three-game series, the club’s final road games, at Colorado against RHP Kevin Millwood (3-2, 3.68).

SAN DIEGO (AP)—With the San Francisco Giants getting hot, the Arizona
Diamondbacks know they have to keep winning.

Joe Saunders(notes) took a five-hitter into the ninth inning, Paul Goldschmidt(notes)
drove in three runs and the Diamondbacks beat the San Diego Padres 5-1 Sunday to
cut the magic number to five for their first NL West title since 2007.

Arizona maintained a five-game lead over second-place San Francisco with
nine games remaining, stopping a three-game losing streak. The Diamondbacks open
a nine-game homestand Monday against Pittsburgh, then host the Giants for a
three-game series next weekend.

“When you go on a little stretch and you get a little antsy like that, you
start to press a little bit,” Saunders said. “You just need to relax. When you
relax, things come easier to you. I think that’s what happened. They didn’t try
to do to much and we just played our game.”

San Francisco kept the pressure on the Diamondbacks with its eighth straight
win, 12-5 at Colorado.

“It’s been a couple of days, so it’s a good feeling,” Arizona manager Kirk
Gibson said. “Every victory at this point of the season is great. The Giants
have been playing great and are on a big winning streak. We needed to match that
and take care of our own business.”

Saunders (12-12) wanted to make sure he did his job at Petco Park, where he
has pitched his best games this season.

The lefty limited last-place San Diego to an unearned run and seven hits in
8 2-3 innings, improving to 3-1 with a 1.47 ERA against the Padres this year. He
threw his only complete game this season in a 6-1 win at San Diego on July 26.

“I came in this morning and decided I need to go out there and throw my `A’
game,” Saunders said. “We got some clutch hits down the stretch. We’re
grinding it out. It was a good win for us.”

After Saunders allowed two-out singles by Kyle Blanks(notes) and Alberto Gonzalez(notes)
in the ninth, J.J. Putz(notes) struck out pinch-hitter Nick Hundley(notes) for his 41st save
in 45 chances.

Goldschmidt led the Arizona offense, which managed just three runs during
the losing streak. Goldschmidt had three hits, including a leadoff homer in the
sixth that put the Diamondbacks ahead for good at 2-1.

“We just couldn’t get to Joe Saunders,” Padres manager Bud Black said.
“His assortment of fastballs in, fastballs down and away. We just couldn’t get
enough balls squared against him.”

Aaron Harang(notes) (13-7) allowed two runs and eight hits in six innings. He has
lost four of his last five starts despite a 3.19 ERA in that span.

Cameron Maybin(notes) had a leadoff single in the third, stole second, took third
on Miguel Montero’s(notes) throwing error from behind the plate and scored on Jason
Bartlett’s(notes) groundout.

Montero’s 17th homer tied the score leading off the fourth. Goldschmidt put
the Diamondbacks ahead 2-1 with a leadoff homer in the sixth.

“It was just a first-pitch fastball up and away,” Goldschmidt said. “He
likes to get ahead with fastballs, so I was looking for it.”

Goldschmidt combined with Aaron Hill(notes) for RBI singles in the seventh against
Brad Brach(notes) and added a sacrifice fly against Erik Hamren(notes) in the eighth.

NOTES: Arizona was 11-7 against San Diego, which is 23-43 against the NL
West. … RHP Ian Kennedy(notes) (19-4, 2.99 ERA) will attempt to become the NL’s first
20-game winner this season Monday when he faces Pittsburgh RHP Jeff Karstens(notes)
(9-8, 3.45). … San Diego LHP Corey Luebke (5-9, 3.27) will start the opener of
a three-game series, the club’s final road games, at Colorado against RHP Kevin
Millwood(notes) (3-2, 3.68).