Brewers 5, Padres 3
Brewers 5, Padres 3: Carlos Gomez snapped a fourth-inning tie with a two-out solo home run and Rickie Weeks and Jonathan Lucroy also went deep as host Milwaukee took the opener of the season-ending three-game series.
Norichika Aoki collected three hits and Ryan Braun added two for the Brewers (82-78), who guaranteed finishing the campaign with a winning record.
Gomez gave Milwaukee a 2-1 lead with his 19th blast and Weeks drilled a two-run shot to center field in the fifth to increase the advantage. Lucroy belted a 1-1 offering from Clayton Richard (14-14) over the wall in left-center for the Brewers' National League-leading 201st homer and a 5-2 cushion.
Shaun Marcum (7-4) allowed two runs and six hits over six innings to improve to 4-0 lifetime against San Diego. John Axford struck out three in the ninth for his 34th save in 43 opportunities.
Richard surrendered five runs and 10 hits in seven innings while hitting his first career homer and Will Venable collected three of the eight hits by the Padres, who have lost five of six.
GAME NOTEBOOK: San Diego SS Everth Cabrera recorded two stolen bases to raise his season total to 43, the highest amount by a Padre since Dave Roberts registered 46 in 2006. ... Braun, who leads the NL with 41 home runs, remained one RBI behind San Diego's Chase Headley (113) for the league lead. ... RHP Anthony Bass will start for San Diego on Tuesday after the club decided to shut down rookie RHP Casey Kelly for the year Monday.