Diamondbacks end Padres' 10-game winning streak

[May 27, 2009]  PHOENIX (AP) -- Max Scherzer struck out 10 and drove in two runs, Chris Young made a leaping catch at the fence for the final out and the Arizona Diamondbacks held off San Diego 6-5 on Tuesday night to snap the Padres' 10-game winning streak.

The Diamondbacks nearly blew a six-run lead for the second straight day. On Monday, they let the Padres rally from a 7-1 deficit in the eighth for a 9-7 victory in 10 innings.

On Tuesday night, the Padres scored four in the eighth to pull to 6-4.

San Diego loaded the bases against Juan Gutierrez with no outs in the ninth. Scott Hairston grounded into a 5-4-3 double play, cutting Arizona's lead to 6-5, and then Young ended the game with a terrific grab on a drive to center by Kevin Kouzmanoff.

Gutierrez got five outs for his first career save.

It took Scherzer 14 starts to earn his first victory. Now he has two in a span of three starts.

Scherzer (2-3) dominated the Padres, who entered with a major league-worst .234 team batting average. He gave up two runs and six hits in seven innings, walking none.

Scherzer also helped himself with the bat, doubling home the game's first run in the fifth inning off Kevin Correia (1-3). Scherzer added an RBI single in the sixth.

Reserve infielder Ryan Roberts had three hits and a stolen base for the Diamondbacks.

Roberts got the Diamondbacks started with a two-out single in the fifth. He scored on a double to right-center by Scherzer, who came around on a double by Gerardo Parra to give Arizona a 2-0 lead.

Arizona made it 6-0 with four runs in the sixth. Mark Reynolds hit his team-leading 13th homer into the right-field seats, a two-run shot.

Correia went 5 2-3 innings, allowing six runs and nine hits. He walked one and struck out five.

Former Diamondback Chris Burke homered leading off the eighth to cut Arizona's lead to 6-1. A pinch-hit single by Tony Gwynn Jr. chased Scherzer, and San Diego made it 6-2 when Esmerling Vasquez hit Kouzmanoff with a pitch with the bases loaded.

Gutierrez gave up an RBI single to Chase Headley, then allowed a run to score on a wild pitch. Adrian Gonzalez, scratched from the starting lineup with flu symptoms, came on as a pinch hitter with the bases loaded and flied out to end the rally.

Notes: Arizona RHP Brandon Webb, who has missed seven weeks with a strained right shoulder, will begin a throwing regimen this week but could still be two or three weeks from returning. ... Arizona 2B Felipe Lopez missed his third straight game with a hamstring injury. He's expected back in the lineup Wednesday night. ... San Diego OF Cliff Floyd, out with a knee injury, could return when the Padres open a three-game series at Colorado on Friday. Floyd has yet to play for the Padres since signing with them in February.

[Associated Press; By ANDREW BAGNATO]

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