Stults pitches, hits Padres to win over D-backs
PHOENIX — Eric Stults threw seven strong innings and drove in a career-best three runs with a pair of two-out hits in San Diego’s 5-0 victory over Arizona on Friday night.
Stults (4-2) allowed three singles, struck out four and walked one. He singled in two runs in the second and doubled home another in the fourth.
Chris Denorfia hit a solo home run off rookie Patrick Corbin (5-5) in the third and brought another run home with a sacrifice fly in the seventh.
The Padres, coming off a three-game home sweep of Pittsburgh, have won five in a row.
Nick Vincent and Tommy Layne each pitched an inning to complete the shutout.
The Diamondbacks fell to 2-3 halfway through a 10-game home stand. San Diego outhit Arizona 13-4.
After Chris Young opened the Arizona first with a line-drive single off the glove of third baseman Chase Headley, Stults retired 11 in a row before Paul Goldschmidt drew a two-out walk in the fourth. The only other runners to reach against the San Diego left-hander were Chris Johnson and Gerardo Parra, who singled to start the fifth.
Stults provided himself with a 2-0 lead in the second.
Singles by Yasmani Grendahl and Yonder Alonso, followed by a two-out walk to Everth Cabrera loaded the bases in the third, Stults singled to bring two runners home before Cabrera was caught in a rundown on the play to end the inning.
After Denorfia’s opposite-field shot, just his fifth homer of the season, made it 3-0, Stults contributed again in the fourth. Cameron Maybin doubled and, with two outs, Stults doubled to the gap in left-center to bring the runner home.
Corbin, who had been 3-0 in four starts since returning to the rotation, finished the inning but that was it. He allowed four runs on nine hits, striking out two and walking one.
Goldschmidt made a standout unassisted double play at first in the opening inning. With Denorfia on base with a single, Goldschmidt lunged to catch Logan Forsythe’s line drive, then in the same motion made a sweeping tag of the runner. He got the third out of the inning unassisted as well on a ground ball.
Notes: Arizona manager Kirk Gibson says LHP Tyler Skaggs will remain with the big league club after his impressive debut on Wednesday. The youngster will be part of what, for now, is a six-man rotation, including three left-handers. ... Stults improved his season batting average to .375 (6 for 16). Playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, he had two RBIs in 2008 and two in 2009. ... The Padres are 4-0 at Arizona this season but 2-4 at home against the Diamondbacks. ... San Diego can match its longest winning streak of the season at six games with a win on Saturday night. ... The Diamondbacks have lost five of their last six series openers.