• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Hairston, Iguchi propel Padres past Astros

Apr 3, 2008 - 11:55 PM By Tim Powers PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN DIEGO (Ticker) - Scott Hairston is making the most of his opportunity to get regular playing time.

Filling in for the injured Jim Edmonds, Hairston had three hits and scored the go-ahead run Thursday as the San Diego Padres posted a 3-2 victory over the Houston Astros in the finale of a four-game series.

Hairston, who also hit the game-winning home run on Tuesday, tripled to lead off the seventh inning after Houston had evened the score at 2-2 in the top of the frame. Tadahito Iguchi singled up the middle off Astros reliever Oscar Villarreal (0-1) to plate Hairston and give San Diego a one-run advantage.

"It's all about getting every day reps," said Hairston, who has five hits in his last eight at-bats. "It's always good to get off to a good start and be in the lineup. I think the more I'm out there, the more comfortable I get. I'm just excited to get my opportunity, and hopefully it continues to go well."

The 27-year-old, who added a single and a double to his hit totals, was a home run shy of becoming the first player in the club's 40-year history to hit for the cycle.

"Hairston, he's strong," Padres manager Bud Black said. "He's got a compact swing with a lot of power. He's swinging the bat well right now. What we think he can do for us in the future warrants an opportunity to play a great deal."

Padres reliever Enrique Gonzalez (1-0), who surrendered a game-tying double in the top of the seventh to rookie J.R. Towles, got the win in relief of Randy Wolf.

Heath Bell pitched a scoreless eighth and all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman hurled the ninth to earn his second save this season and 526th of his career.

Hoffman, who was making his third straight appearance, atoned for blowing a save Wednesday and helped the Padres win for the third time in this four-game series.

"To have a hiccup (Wednesday), those are going to happen," Hoffman said. "I just want to try to get into the flow of the season. The (closer) role is going to bring attention, but I'm trying not to have as much attention as I've had recently. I prefer to just be anonymous and be one of the guys."

Wolf yielded a run, four hits and a walk in his Padres debut, striking out five in six innings.

"I thought Randy threw the ball well," Black said. "He had a good three-pitch mix, a good live fastball. He had a couple of situations where he had to make a pitch, and he did. Randy threw the ball very well."

Houston starter Shawn Chacon was also solid in his season debut, allowing two runs, five hits and four walks in six frames while striking out four.

Kevin Kouzmanoff touched Chacon for a two-run home run in the first, but the 30-year-old Chacon allowed little else before Villarreal surrendered the lead on Iguchi's single.

"The first and second inning, I struggled through those a little bit," Chacon said. "But I was able to find a groove and finished up pretty strong. You want to come out and make a good showing in the first outing, and starting off good is always a good thing, too."

Mark Loretta doubled home the first run in the third for the Astros, who managed just two hits with runners in scoring position in the series.

"You've got to have a decent average with men in scoring position, and we didn't do it," Astros manager Cecil Cooper said. "We had some chances and we just couldn't come up with a big hit today. You don't get to Trevor too many times, and last night we did. We were fortunate to get to him last night, but tonight it was a pretty easy 1-2-3 for him."