Inciarte’s 2 HRs, 4 hits lead Diamondbacks over Padres

SAN DIEGO  — Arizona’s Ender Inciarte had a little chat with his manager, Chip Hale, prior to the Diamondbacks beating the San Diego Padres 4-2 on Sunday.

“Edler came in before the game and said he was excited to play against (James) Shields,” Hale said. “He took it as a real challenge.”

Consider it a challenge met.

Inciarte had two home runs among his four hits for his first multihomer game, giving him six home runs this season. He drove in three runs and also stole his 21st base.

“I was really excited to face (Shields),” Inciarte said. “It’s fun to face guys like that who are very competitive.”

David Peralta added a solo homer for Arizona.

“The pitch to Peralta was probably off the plate a little bit,” Shields said. “He put a pretty good swing on it.”

Jhoulys Chacin (2-1) went three innings.

Brad Ziegler, the Diamondbacks‘ fifth pitcher, worked the ninth for his 29th save in 31 chances. It was his 27th straight save, the longest active streak in the majors.

Shields (13-7) was charged with four runs, nine hits and four walks over 6 1-3 innings. He had a four-game winning streak snapped in his final start this season at Petco Park.

“I felt all right,” Shields said. “I made a couple of bad pitches and that is kind of the way my season has been going.”

Shields surrendered at least three home runs in an outing for the third time this year. He allowed a season-high four to the Diamondbacks when beating them on May 8, and has permitted 33 this year, tied for most in the majors.

Shields, in his first year with the Padres, reached 200 innings for the ninth straight season. But he also has a career-high 81 walks, which ties for most in the majors as well.

Inciarte homered in the fifth, then hit a two-run homer in the seventh to break a 2-all tie.

The Padres threatened in the bottom half when pinch-hitters Wil Myers and Melvin Upton Jr. drew walks. But after they advanced on Travis Jankowski’s sacrifice, Cory Spangenberg and Matt Kemp struck out.

Arizona’s Zack Godley started and went three scoreless innings, giving up two hits and two walks. His innings are being monitored in his first season as a starter.

Godley’s last start was on Sept. 9, and he was moved to the bullpen, where he made one appearance.

The Padres got to Chacin in the fifth when Shields hit a one-out double and Jankowski tripled. Spangenberg’s single made it 2-all.

But this day belong to Inciarte, a 24-year-old Venezulean who has 10 career home runs.

“This is the best game I’ve played in the big leagues,” he said. “It’s fun to win games, and when you can help in this way, you remember them for a long time.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Diamondbacks: SS Nick Ahmed missed his fifth straight game with a lower back strain.

Padres: 3B Yangervis Solarte wasn’t in the lineup because of a strained right hamstring.

UP NEXT

Diamondbacks: LHP Robbie Ray (5-12, 3.53) opens a three-game series against the visiting Colorado Rockies on Tuesday. Ray, who won his previous time out against the Dodgers on Sept. 22, is 2-2 with a 2.39 ERA in his last five starts.

Padres: RHP Tyson Ross (10-11, 3.17) seeks his first win since Aug. 31 on Tuesday to begin a three-game series at home against Milwaukee. He has gone at least six innings in his previous four starts, but only has two losses and two no-decisions to show for it.