San Diego, CA (Sports Network) – Dustin Moseley pitched seven strong innings and Chris Denorfia homered in San Diego’s 3-1 win over the Astros, snapping Houston’s season-best, four-game winning streak.
Moseley (2-6), who was charged with six hits and struck out five, secured his first victory since May 1 against the Dodgers. He was 0-3 over his previous five outings.
“I made pitches when I had to,” Moseley said. “I pitched ahead for the most part and that helps out.”
Aaron Cunningham delivered an RBI double in a two-run fourth inning for the Padres, who snapped a two-game skid but won for the fifth time in seven tries. They bounced back from a 7-4 loss in the opener of this four-game series.
J.A. Happ (3-7) yielded six hits and three runs over six innings and dropped his third consecutive decision.
“They did a good job of keeping balls in the middle of the field,” Happ said of San Diego’s hitters.
J.R. Towles drove in the lone run for the Astros, who had won their last five road games.
Houston had runners at the corners in the opening and third innings, but failed to capitalize. They did, however, grab the lead in the fourth. Johnson tripled to right field and Towles executed the perfect squeeze bunt toward first base.
Jason Bartlett’s infield single and Chase Headley’s base hit to center set the table for the Padres in the fourth. Ryan Ludwick then singled up the middle to tie the game, but Headley was thrown out at third. With two down, Cunningham doubled down the left field line.
Denorfia homered to dead center field in the fifth and the rest was up to San Diego’s bullpen. Mike Adams had a pair of strikeouts in the eighth and Heath Bell followed suit in the ninth to get his 15th save. Bell walked Brett Wallace with one out, but then fanned Johnson and retired pinch-hitter Matt Downs on a ground ball to third base.
Game Notes
Pence has hit safely in 15 straight contests, while Headley extended his career-high hit streak to 13 games…Padres manager Bud Black was ejected for arguing with home plate umpire Greg Gibson in the fourth inning…A win Friday would have given Houston its first six-game road tear since July 18-22, 2005.