Myers blast helps Padres slip past Diamondbacks
SAN DIEGO -- Left-hander Clayton Richard and two relievers held Arizona to two runs on six hits and Wil Myers triggered a three-run fourth with his 26th homer of the season Monday night as the Padres defeated Arizona 3-2 at Petco Park.
Richard improved to 3-2 as a Padres starter. Brandon Maurer picked up his 11th save in 13 chances.
The victory in the opener of a three-game series allowed the Padres to move back into a tie with Arizona for fourth in the National League West. Both teams are 63-87.
The Padres broke open a scoreless tie with three runs in the bottom of the fourth off Arizona's right-handed starter and loser Braden Shipley (4-4).
Myers opened the scoring with an opposite-field, 364-foot homer into the short-porch boxes down the right-field foul line.
The homer was Myers' 26th of the season and his 16th at Petco Park, setting a one-season record for the Padres' 13-year-old downtown home.
The old record of 15 homers was shared by Will Venable (2013) and Justin Upton (last season).
After Shipley struck out Ryan Schimpf, Alex Dickerson and Adam Rosales hit back-to-back singles to put Padres at first and second.
Catcher Derek Norris then hit a line drive at shortstop Chris Owings that hit off the top of the Diamondbacks' glove and landed in short left for an error that loaded the bases.
Alexi Amarista, who has been starting in the absence of Yangervis Solarte, lined a two-run single over Owings' head to make it 3-0.
Shipley departed after retiring the last two hitters he faced in the fourth. He allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
Meanwhile, Richard shut out Arizona on four hits over the first six innings before the Diamondbacks broke through for two runs in the seventh.
Yasmany Tomas, who singled in each of his first two at-bats, drew the second walk issued by Richard to open the inning and scored on Kyle Jensen's one-out triple over the head of Travis Jankowski in straight-away center. Jensen scored on Phil Gosselin's infield single to the right side.
Left-handed reliever Brad Hand made his major league-leading 76th appearance and induced pinch-hitter Rickie Weeks to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Richard worked 6 1/3 innings and allowed the two runs on six hits and two walks with two strikeouts. His earned run average with the Padres is 1.87 over 43 1/3 innings.
NOTES: The Padres' El Paso affiliate will play in the Triple-A Championship Game on Tuesday in Memphis, Tenn., against the Yankees' Scranton/Wilkes-Barre affiliate. El Paso won the Pacific Coast League title Saturday night with CF Manuel Margot selected the MVP of the PCL playoffs. ... OF Jabari Blash, sidelined since Aug. 16 due to a jammed left middle finger, is expected to rejoin the Padres later this week. ... OF A.J. Pollock (strained groin) is getting closer to playing for Arizona. He is running again. ... Diamondbacks OF Brandon Drury was chosen the National League Co-Player of the Week. ... 1B Paul Goldschmidt was held out of the starting lineup by Arizona manager Chip Hale. He was 3-for-22 (.136) in his previous five games.