Justin Upton homers to lift Padres to 7-2 win over D-backs

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Justin Upton hit a two-run homer and the San Diego Padres beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-2 Saturday night to get consecutive wins for the first time in three weeks.

Upton connected for his 14th home run on a full-count pitch from Jeremy Hellickson (5-5) to break a 2-all tie in the fifth inning.

Andrew Cashner (3-9) pitched seven solid innings to win for the first time since May 27, a span of six starts. Cashner also drove in a run with a bunt single.

San Diego last won consecutive games during a four-game streak June 2-6. The victory moved San Diego ahead of Arizona into third place in the NL West. The Padres are 5-6 since interim manager Pat Murphy took over after Bud Black was fired.

Upton’s homer was his 11th at Petco Park and his first since June 13 in a 2-1 win over the Dodgers.

Cashner allowed two runs and eight hits, and escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the second when he struck out Chris Owings and got Hendrickson to ground out.

The right-hander struck out six and did not walk a batter.

Will Venable and Clint Barmes led off the sixth with singles, and with one out, Cashner laid down a bunt between the mound and the third base line. Hellickson fielded the ball, but Venable slid home ahead of the tag.

Matt Kemp and Yangervis Solarte added RBI singles to push the Padres’ lead to 7-2.

Hellickson (5-5) allowed seven runs on 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings. In four starts this season against San Diego, Hellickson is 1-2 with a 7.55 ERA having allowed 31 hits in 22 2/3 innings.

The Diamondbacks tied the game at 2-all in the third on three consecutive two-out doubles by Paul Goldschmidt, David Peralta and Yasmany Tomas.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Diamondbacks: LHP Patrick Corbin (Tommy John surgery) made his third rehab start on Friday night, allowing two runs on four hits in six innings for Double-A Mobile. Corbin is expected to make one more rehab start before a possible call-up to the majors.

Padres: 2B Cory Spangenberg left the game in the fourth inning with a sprained left knee. .. LHP Cory Luebke threw 11 pitches in one perfect inning in a rehab appearance with Double-A San Antonio on Friday night. It was Luebke’s fifth rehab outing as he attempts to come back from his second Tommy John surgery.

UP NEXT

Diamondbacks: RHP Chase Anderson (3-2, 3.54 ERA) will attempt to rebound from his worst outing of the season in a 10-5 loss at Colorado on Tuesday. Anderson allowed eight runs on eight hits and three walks while giving up three home runs.

Padres: RHP Odrisamer Despaigne (3-5, 4.83) has had mixed success against Arizona. The righty beat the D-backs on April 14 with seven innings of one-run, two-hit pitching in a 5-1 win. But Despaigne allowed season highs of eight runs on 10 hits in five innings on May 7 at Arizona in an 11-0 loss.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.