Major League Baseball

Diamondbacks score 7 runs in 2nd inning, beat Padres 7-2

Published Jun. 21, 2015 6:52 p.m. ET

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PHOENIX (AP) San Diego handed Arizona one big inning, and the Diamondbacks gratefully took full advantage.

A.J. Pollock and Paul Goldschmidt each singled home a pair in that seven-run second and the Diamondbacks won 7-2 Sunday to take two of three from the Padres in the weekend series.

Jeremy Hellickson (5-4) pitched six innings for the Diamondbacks, allowing two runs and six hits. He struck out a season-high seven with no walks before leaving the game with a sore back.

''His breaking ball was superb today,'' manager Chip Hale said. ''He was bouncing it, then he used his changeup a lot and located the fastball. So it was a really good job.''

Hale said Hellickson would have stayed in the game but felt some pain in his back while swinging at bat in the sixth. Hellickson said he didn't think the injury was serious and expected to make his next start.

''I'm not very concerned at all,'' he said. ''I've just never really tweaked anything in that area and just kind of want to be cautious with it.''

Two San Diego errors, two walks and a hit batter contributed to Arizona's big inning. Only three of the seven runs off Andrew Cashner (2-9) were earned.

''That few moments of losing the focus, throwing to the wrong base, not gripping the ball or throwing accurately and missing the ball in the infield, that little lack of focus can pile on,'' Padres interim manager Pat Murphy said. ''You put all those together, it is a seven-run inning and you feel pretty (bad about) what could have been.''

San Diego fell to 2-5 since manager Bud Black was fired.

Cashner allowed four hits in four innings. He struck out five, walked two and hit Hellickson with a pitch with the bases loaded.

''I thought I made pitches throughout the whole inning,'' Cashner said. ''It was just that a couple of balls found holes and you can't walk guys in that inning. ... If a couple of different plays are made I think it is a different inning for sure.''

Andrew Chafin threw three scoreless innings to earn his first career save.

The Diamondbacks had just one baserunner after their second-inning outburst. The Padres retired the last 17 batters but couldn't overcome their mistakes in the second.

Cashner struck out Yasmany Tomas to start the inning, then Arizona loaded the bases on two walks and Chris Owings' single. Nick Ahmed grounded sharply to third, but Will Middlebrooks' throw home pulled catcher Derek Norris off the plate and the runner was safe. The Padres challenged the call but it was upheld on review.

That brought up Hellickson, who couldn't get out of the way of a 3-2 pitch that hit him in the left hip, bringing in another run.

Pollock's single to left scored two more. San Diego's defensive woes continued when David Peralta's grounder scooted through the legs of shortstop Clint Barmes for an error. Hellickson scored on the play and it was 5-0.

With first base open, the Padres chose to pitch to Goldschmidt, the major league leader entering the game with a .358 batting average. With the infield in, Goldschmidt's soft single up the middle brought in two more to make it 7-0 and gave the Arizona first baseman 57 RBIs.

The Diamondbacks have won seven of 10 and are within a game of .500 for the 10th time since they were 8-8 on April 24. They have lost in all nine of their attempts to reach .500 since then.

''I think we're going to get there and we're going to go past it,'' Hale said, ''but we have to be better. We have to be a better team to get there.''

FACING WEST

Arizona is three games into a 16-game stretch against NL West foes. The Diamondbacks have three at Colorado, three at San Diego, three at home against the Dodgers, followed by four in a row in Arizona against the Rockies.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Diamondbacks: RHP Archie Bradley, on the 15-day DL with right shoulder tendinitis, said he will start rehab work with Triple-A Reno next week.

UP NEXT

Padres: San Diego has Monday off, then opens a three-game series Tuesday at San Francisco. RHP Odrisamer Despaigne (3-5, 4.92 ERA) faces Giants LHP Madison Bumgarner (7-4, 3.09).

Diamondbacks: After an off day Monday, Arizona plays three at Colorado. RHP Chase Anderson (3-1, 2.84 ERA) takes the mound against RHP Kyle Kendrick (2-9, 5.95).

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