Padres Streaked Their Way to .500, Ends at 10 and New Season Begins

After a disheartening six-loss road trip Kevin Towers and the Padres were thrilled to return to PETCO Park.

A three-run seventh put the Padres ahead. Scott Hairston provide the go ahead RBI and Adrian Gonzalez homered in his fifth straight game.

Brian Giles had a lead-off homer to star the game, but Padres would not score again until getting a run in the seventh.

In the 16th inning later Nick Hundley (above) made remaining Friar Faithful smile big with a solo-homer sending everyone home as the Padres won a marathon match, 6-5.

Jake Peavy gave up a leadoff double to Chris Dickerson but retired the next 17 batters in order, en route to a four-hit, one-run complete game.

The Padre batters only put up three runs but that was more than enough. Kouzmanoff lead the offense with two RBI and a run in going 3-for-4.

Scott Hairston and Nick Hundley homered in the first and second respectively and Chris Young was in the zone allowing one run on five hits and three walks over six innings.

The bullpen came in and pitched three innings of shutout ball, overcoming a hit and five bases on balls together, as the Padres pushed their streak to four.

The Padres matched the score of their previous win over the Giants, 2-1, as Chris Gaudin gave up one run on five hits and four walks over six innings.

Once again, the bullpen did the job, looking sharper than on the previous day, allowing no hits and striking out three. Heath Bell got his 12th save on the season.

Kevin Kouzmanoff and Chris Burk accounted for all of the Padres four hits in the game.

And RBI double from Burk and a solo homer from Kouzmanoff were all the offense the Padres needed.

Kevin Correia pinched solid one run, six-hit ball through six innings but the Padres would need a rally in the as closer Heath Bell gave up his first run on the season.

However in the bottom of the inning the Padres got good karma points when they brought in Tony Gwynn Jr. in as a pinch hitter, fresh off his trade from the MIlwaukee Brewers.

A single and two walks, one to Gwynn loaded the bases. David Eckstein was hit by a pitch to tied the game. Then Scott Hairston dropped in a single to left field, scoring Gwynn from third.

The win was the Padres second consecutive three-game sweep, after themselves being swept twice consecutively leading up to the current streak.

The Padres only outscored the Giants 7-4 in the series.

Jake Peavy says he is a Padre. With an exclamation point, Peavy showed he is ready to play in San Diego, pitching six shutout innings, giving up two hits and walking and striking out 10.

Brian Giles contributed a lot singling home and sacrificing home Tony Gwynn Jr. to account for two Padres runs. Adrian Gonzalez hit his league leading 16th dinger of the season.

Continuing to rely on spot-on pitching, the Padres took the Cubs in the second of a three game series, defeating the Cubs 4-0.

Josh Geer went 6 2/3 innings allowing just one run on five hits, while striking out seven.

On two of the only Padres hitting during recent games, Brian Giles hit a two-run double in the fourth.

The Padres finished off the Cubs to move to .500 on the year. Kevin Kouzmanoff's three-run homer in the seventh put the game out of reach for the struggling Cubs.

Chris Young allowed two runs over seven innings and helped himself with two-for-two hitting with tho RBI at the plate.

During the streak, the Padres starting pitching has been nothing less than solid, more than compensating for an utter lack of offensive production on the part of the Padres.

The win completes the sweep of the Cubs and extended their losing streak to seven games.

Down 7-1 coming into the eighth inning, the Padres showed some comeback strength, getting five in the eighth started off by an error, and one in the ninth to tie it up.

Edward Mujica pitched the Padres out of a jam in the ninth striking out two batters with the go ahead run in scoring position.

In the 10th, the Padres got a single from Henry Blanco and then Chase Headley launched a two-run blast over the right field wall to complete the comeback.

The Padres staged a gallant comeback attempt that fell short.

Down 6-0 going into the eighth inning leadoff batter Chris Burke took the first pitch fastball over the left field wall by inches.

Pinch-hitting Tony Gwynn followed immediately with a first pitch single and starting pitcher Max Scherzer was immediately pulled from the game for Doug Slaten. Slaten threw just one pitch to Brian Giles who launchea liner robbed by the third baseman.

After the second pitching change David Exkstein singled down the right field line, moving Gwynn over to third.

Scott Hairston walked loading the bases and Kouzmanoff took a free base on a shot to the forearm scoring a run.

Another pitching change later and Chase Headley lined a shot into right advancing everyone one base, 6-3. Hundley struck out and then a wild pitch scored another run, 6-4. Then after a walk Adrian Gonzalez flied out leaving the base loaded.

In the ningh Gwynn and Giles both singled to start and Eckstein was hit by a pitch to laod the bases, still none out. Hairston then grounded into a double play, scoring Gwynn, 6-5. After dropping a would-be game winningl ball not more than a foot into foul territory Kouzmanoff then flied out to deep deep right field about two feet short of a home run.

The streak was done. The Padres sitting at .500 now have new life on their season ahead.