D-backs take early lead, fend off Padres’ rally

PHOENIX — The D-backs’ bats came alive as they collected 10 hits and got a solid outing from Zack Greinke to snap a four-game losing streak by beating the Padres, 8-7, on Saturday night at Chase Field.

The Arizona offense got going early with a two-run first inning and it added five more in the second, chasing Padres starter Cesar Vargas (0-3). Michael Bourn drove home a pair of runs with a single and Paul Goldschmidt capped the inning with a two-run homer to left, his ninth of the year.

“We came out firing,” D-backs manager Chip Hale said. “Lot of good at-bats and obviously pitch-counted Vargas and did a nice job. Made him throw the ball where we wanted to hit it and guys got him. Goldy of course the big home run, but a lot of good at-bats by a lot of guys so that was good early on. I just wanted to keep adding on, that’s one of the things we’re really stressing and we’re going to get better at.”

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Matt Kemp hit a solo homer in the first, but the Padres offense struggled to do anything else against Greinke through the first five innings. Finally in the sixth, they broke through with three runs, thanks in part to three doubles, to cut the D-backs lead to 8-4. They added three runs in a ninth-inning rally against Brad Ziegler.

“It’s a tribute to the guys, how hard they fight, to get all the way back to one against a very good closer,” said Padres skipper Andy Green. “… When you’re down 7-1 to Zack Greinke and you come back and make it an 8-7 ballgame, there’s a lot to build on the next day.”

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