Major League Baseball

Padres' Hudson has double, HR before D-backs rally

Published Mar. 13, 2012 5:59 a.m. ET

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Chase Headley's back held up just fine.

The San Diego Padres third baseman ended his first game of the spring Sunday by scoring from second base on a single in an 8-7 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

''There was no issue,'' Headley said. ''It was as good as I thought it would be. I wasn't really concerned about it, but it's always nice to go out there and play and have to test it and not have anything there. It was as good as it could be.''

Headley, who hit .289 with four homers and 44 RBIs in 113 games last season, sat out the first week of action after he experienced lower back spasms. Padres manager Bud Black believes the injury is a one-time occurrence rather than something to worry about.

''You bend over to pick something up and you do something and it's a spasm and it plays itself out,'' Black said. ''I think he's fine. He had some good swings and physically he responded fine.''

Headley singled and walked in three trips to the plate and scored on Carlos Quentin's single in the fifth.

He thinks the Padres handled the injury properly because it's early enough in the spring for him to catch up to his teammates.

''It wasn't something I was extremely concerned about to begin with,'' Headley said. ''As early as it was in spring, the smart thing to do was take some time and make sure it was as good as possible. But I was definitely anxious to get back in there and get some game action.''

Meanwhile, Daniel Hudson had a solid outing for Arizona by striking out three in three perfect innings. He needed only 30 pitches, 21 for strikes, to retire all nine Padres hitters he faced. Hudson rebounded after he allowed three runs on four hits in two innings in his first start of the spring last Monday.

''It was just better command on the inside part of the plate,'' Hudson said. ''I was getting it in there pretty good. Not necessarily for strikes, but close enough to make them aware I was hitting my spots today. I felt good.''

Orlando Hudson homered and doubled in three at-bats as the Padres scored six times in the two innings after Arizona's starting pitcher exited. Hudson blasted a two-run home run in the fourth inning and had a one-out double in the fifth inning.

Quentin had an RBI single and walked in three plate appearances, while Yonder Alonso had a two-run single in three at-bats. Padres catcher Nick Hundley had an RBI single.

Starter Tim Stauffer allowed three earned runs on five hits in two-plus innings for San Diego.

Henry Blanco hit a two-homer for Arizona, while Gerardo Parra went 2 for 4 with a run scored.

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