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D-backs finally win at home against Padres, 3-2

PHOENIX — Ian Kennedy gave up one run in eight innings for his 14th victory, Miguel Montero drove in two runs with two doubles and the Arizona Diamondbacks finally got a home win over the San Diego Padres, 3-2 on Tuesday night.

San Diego was 6-0 in Arizona this season before dropping the series opener.

Kennedy (14-11) overcame a 30-pitch first inning, scattering seven hits. A 21-game winner in 2011, Kennedy is 8-3 in his last 12 starts.

Eric Stults (6-3) gave up three runs and five hits in six innings in his first loss since June 3. The left-hander had gone 5-0 with a 2.08 ERA in seven starts since rejoining the Padres rotation on Aug. 6.

The Padres got a run in the ninth inning after Chris Denorfia singled and reached third when the ball got past Adam Eaton in center field for a two-base error. Will Venable’s sacrifice fly brought Denorfia home but J.J. Putz retired Jesus Guzman and pinch-hitter Mark Kotsay to earn his 30th save in 35 opportunities.

Kennedy, pitching on an extra day’s rest, struck out seven, two in his final inning. He walked two, one intentionally. His 121 pitches were one shy of his season high.

Stults struck out six, walked three and hit a batter. The last time he faced the Diamondbacks, at Arizona on Aug. 29, Stults blanked the Diamondbacks on three hits over seven innings.

Arizona center fielder Chris Young, in the lineup for the first time since Sept. 3, aggravated his right quadriceps injury running down a fly ball for the first out of the game. When he left the game, Eaton shifted from left to center, and Gerardo Parra came in to play left.

After the substitution, Logan Forsythe singled and Chase Headley walked, then Yasmani Grandal singled off the glove of Kennedy to load the bases. Yonder Alonso hit a sacrifice fly to left. Parra’s throw reached home ahead of the runner, but Forsythe slid under the tag of the catcher Montero, who did not block the plate.

The Diamondbacks responded with two runs in the bottom of the first. Eaton led off with a walk, stole second, and, with two outs, scored on Paul Goldschmidt’s single. Goldschmidt scored from first when Montero doubled to right.

Arizona added a run in the fifth when Justin Upton drew a one-out walk and raced home from first on Montero’s double high off the wall in center.

The Diamondbacks had runners at first and third with one out in the seventh, but Padres shortstop Everth Cabrera fielded Goldschmidt’s grounder, spun around as he touched second, then fired to first for the inning-ending double play.

Eaton has reached safely in 10 of his first 11 major league games. Parra is the only Arizona player to reach safely in his first 11 big league contests.

Notes: In their two three-game sweeps in Arizona, the Padres outscored the Diamondbacks 42-20. ... Arizona’s top minor league club, the Reno Aces, won the Triple-A championship 10-3 over Pawtucket on Tuesday night. Two other D-backs minor league teams, Double-A Mobile and Rookie League Missoula, won their league titles. ... In Game 2 of the series on Wednesday night, the Diamondbacks go with RHP Trevor Cahill (11-11, 3.92 ERA) against the Padres’ RHP Edinson Volquez (10-10, 4.24). ... Phoenix Suns guard Goran Dragic will throw out the first pitch at Wednesday night’s game.

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