Latos, Rodriguez help Padres end five-game skid

[July 25, 2009]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- Rookie Mat Latos pitched into the sixth inning to notch his first career victory, light-hitting Luis Rodriguez homered and matched a career high with three RBIs and the San Diego Padres snapped their five-game skid with a 6-2 win over the Washington Nationals on Friday night.

Latos (1-1), who lost in his major league debut July 18, allowed two runs and five hits over 5 2-3 innings. He walked two and struck out five.

Cristian Guzman and Ryan Zimmerman homered for the Nationals, who have lost 13 of 16 and have the majors' worst record at 28-68. Washington committed four errors for the third time this season.

San Diego took advantage of a passed ball, and an error by Washington starter Garrett Mock for two unearned runs in the first.

Tony Gwynn drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a passed ball and reached third when Mock (0-4) double-clutched on Everth Cabrera's sacrifice attempt for an error. Adrian Gonzalez hit a sacrifice fly then Cabrera stole second and scored on Chase Headley's two-out double to right to make it 2-0.

Guzman homered in the bottom of the first.

Rodriguez's solo shot made it 3-1 in the fourth. It was the second homer of the season and first since April 17 for Rodriguez, who increased his batting average from .194 to .203 with the 2-for-4 effort.

In the sixth, San Diego loaded the bases on three singles before Rodriguez hit a one-out, two-run single to right-center for a 5-1 lead, knocking Mock from the game.

Mock, making his second start since being recalled from Triple-A Syracuse on July 16, yielded five runs - three earned - on nine hits. He walked one and struck out five.

Zimmerman hit a full-count changeup from Latos over the fence in left-center for his 16th homer in the sixth.

Kevin Kouzmanoff added an RBI double in the seventh.

NOTES: Padres C Henry Blanco, on the 15-day disabled list since July 5 with a right hamstring strain, caught in the bullpen before the game and could begin a minor league rehabilitation assignment next week, manager Bud Black said. ... Nationals LF Adam Dunn committed an error for the second consecutive game. Before Thursday, he had made only eight errors in 1,093 career games in the outfield. ... Mock fanned Padres OF Kyle Blanks three times. Blanks has struck out 24 times in 632 at-bats this season.

[Associated Press]

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