SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Patrick Corbin appears to be the perfect remedy for what ails the Diamondbacks.
The young left-hander pitched seven solid innings as the D-backs snapped their season-long four-game losing streak with an 8-1 victory over the Padres on Saturday night.
Corbin (4-0) gave up one run and five hits while striking out seven. He walked three while his ERA dropped to 1.80. Corbin has opened the season by pitching at least six innings and allowing two or fewer runs in his six starts -- all Arizona victories.
"I felt good; it helps when you come out and put up six early on and it lets you go out and pitch your game and go after these guys," Corbin said. "It helps out a lot, and I'm just glad I got through seven.
"When you have the lead, you have it in the back of your head that you can go after these guys more," Corbin said. "I wanted to keep my pitch count low (97 pitches) and make sure I got deeper in the game and help the bullpen out. I felt really good with my changeup tonight."
Corbin lost his shutout bid with two out in the seventh when Chris Denorfia hit his second homer of the year the second deck in left field. Denorfia also had a double.
The D-backs touched up Padres starter Clayton Richard (0-4) for six runs on five hits in the second to take control.
"It was ugly," Padres manager Bud Black said of the second inning. "They took advantage of balls that were either up or over the plate. And they strung together many hits."
Richard had been 6-0 against the Diamondbacks. He left in the fourth after giving up seven runs.
"It was a nice change of pace for us and getting everyone relaxed," said center fielder A.J. Pollock, who had a homer and three RBIs. "We enjoyed it, especially the way Corbin was throwing. Winning close games is good, but sometimes you need to relax and breathe. And that was what tonight was about."
Richard didn't help himself in the second, committing a throwing error on Corbin's sacrifice bunt. Pollock followed with a two-run double, then added a solo homer in the fourth.
"I don't think we've had an inning like that this season," D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said. "We got the line going, and A.J. (Pollock) had a pretty good game for us.
"Corbin could be easily 6-0 for us," Gibson said. "Tonight he made good pitches, especially the secondary stuff mixed in."
Heath Bell, the former Padres closer, came on in relief of Tony Sipp in the eighth with the bases loaded to get Jedd Gyorko to ground into an inning-ending double play. Bell also pitched a scoreless ninth.
Paul Goldschmidt drove in a pair of runs for the D-backs with two sacrifice flies and also had a single and a walk.
The win was the Diamondbacks' fourth against the Padres in 14 games. The loss was the Padres third in their last 10 games.
NOTES: D-backs INF Didi Gregarious, who was reinstated from the seven-day DL Saturday after sustaining a mild conconsusion when he was hit in the head April 26th, got hit again during his rehab at extended spring training in Phoenix."I got hit in the left leg, but I stayed in there because I really wanted my at-bats," said Gregorius. "Some of those pitchers (in extended spring training) don't have good control all the time." Gregorius has hit safely in his first seven games with the D-backs. ... OF Alfredo Marte was optioned to Reno, where he was scheduled to play Saturday night. ... Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero, who had a home run Friday night, was given the night off Friday and replaced by Wil Nieves, but according to D-Backs manager Kirk Gibson Montero will start on Sunday. ... Padres LF Carlos Quentin was back in the starting lineup after a balky right knee sidelined him Friday. ... The official scorer changed a ruling from Friday night's game, giving an error to D-backs centerfielder Gerado Parra in the seventh inning. With Jesus Guzman on second base, Kyle Blanks lined a single to center field. Parra's throw to home plate short-hopped catcher Montero and went over his head, allowing Blanks to move to second. That error snapped an 11-game streak for Arizona without an error and prevented the D-backs from matching their club record of 12 straight games (May 27 to June 10, 2012).
