Major League Baseball

Arizona bullpen holds off Padres 8-6

Published Sep. 14, 2014 7:53 p.m. ET

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PHOENIX (AP) Zeke Spruill didn't have much to say after earning his first major league win. His giddiness and smile said everything.

Spruill, a 25-year-old rookie, allowed one hit in three shutout innings of long relief and bullpen mate Will Harris escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the San Diego Padres 8-6 Sunday.

Harris struck Rymer Liriano and pinch-hitter Tommy Medica to preserve Arizona's 5-4 lead.

Spruill (1-1) earned the win five days after being called up from Triple-A Reno. He's made 10 major league appearances between this season and last.

''Probably the biggest (day) I've had besides the one when I was called up (for the first time),'' Spruill said. ''I don't even know how to describe it. This is all I can do right now.''

He grinned as he spoke.

Spruill has a chance to make a good impression this month and earn a more permanent place on the major league roster come next year.

''He's got good deception, keeps the ball down,'' manager Kirk Gibson said. ''His off-speed pitches have been coming. He just kind of kept himself out of trouble.''

Odrisamer Despaigne (3-7) was hurt by a pair of Padres misplays in a five-run third.

''He had the one rough inning,'' manager Bud Black said. ''We couldn't get that third out.''

Diamondbacks starter Trevor Cahill was lucky to have gotten out of the first two innings having only allowed two runs. The Padres had runners on first and third three times and got RBI singles from Jake Goebbert and Seth Smith for a 2-0 lead.

The Diamondbacks responded with five runs in the third. Chris Owings drove in Didi Gregorius with a two-out single, then things got wacky.

With runners at first and second, Mark Trumbo singled to center field. Owings scored on the throw that was cut off by shortstop Alexi Amarista, whose throw home sailed over catcher Yasmani Grandal.

The ball went straight to Despaigne, who was backing up the play, as A.J. Pollock scored from first base.

The next batter, Miguel Montero, hit a fly ball into the left-field corner that Cory Spangenberg dropped for an error, allowing Trumbo to score. Aaron Hill's single made it 5-2.

San Diego scored twice in the fourth on Cahill's wild pitch and Spangenberg's grounder.

The Diamondbacks scored three insurance runs in the eighth on RBI singles from Gregorius and pinch-hitter Jordan Pacheco and a wild pitch.

Arizona closer Addison Reed gave up two runs in the ninth.

GIBSON'S SELF-ANALYSIS

Gibson fielded several questions that hinted at his future as manager before Sunday's game. He said he analyzes himself ''all the time'' and that ''there's nobody harder on me than me.'' Gibson also said he's not part of the club's current search for a new general manager, and that he draws off what he's gone through in the past, positive and negative, to put the team's 61-88 season to date in perspective.

''My mom told me yesterday she still loves me,'' Gibson said with a grin.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Padres: Reliever Joaquin Benoit (shoulder) is scheduled to throw another bullpen session midweek, assuming all went well in Sunday's session, Black said. Black also hopes to have pitcher Blaine Boyer (shoulder) throw off a mound later this week. ... OF Abraham Almonte entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the eighth after missing time with a sprained ankle, and OF Will Venable (back) returned to action as a pinch-runner in the ninth.

Diamondbacks: The club has yet to decide whether to shut down RHP Chase Anderson for the rest of the season, with only a couple of more scheduled starts left for him. It's an issue of the amount of innings Anderson has pitched this season, his first in the majors.

UP NEXT

Padres: RHP Andrew Cashner is set for his 17th start of the season when the Padres host Philadelphia on Monday. He is 1-1 with a 2.53 ERA with 16 strikeouts and four walks in four starts since coming off the disabled list (elbow soreness).

Diamondbacks: LHP Wade Miley (7-11) makes his 100th career start Monday at home against San Francisco. He's 15 strikeouts away from 500 in his career and 15 innings away from a second straight season of 200 or more innings.

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