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Gonzalez lifts Padres over Tigers

Jun 21, 2008 - 6:01 AM By Tim Powers PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- Adrian Gonzalez singled home the go-ahead run in the eighth inning as the San Diego Padres toppled the Detroit Tigers, 6-2, in the opener of a three-game series on Friday.

Tigers reliever Fernando Rodney (0-1) opened the eighth by throwing eight straight balls to put Jody Gerut and Edgar Gonzalez on base before being removed for Casey Fossum, who promptly issued another walk to Brian Giles.

Adrian Gonzalez followed with a single that plated Gerut, and right fielder Magglio Ordonez's fielding error on the play scored Edgar Gonzalez to give San Diego the 4-2 advantage.

"You've got to throw the ball over the plate there," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "We walked the first three guys in the eighth inning, and you can't do that and win a ballgame. That's impossible, that's not going to happen."

The rally continued when Scott Hairston singled home two more runs against Joel Zumaya - who was making his season debut - as six San Diego batters reached base before an out was recorded in the inning, increasing the lead to 6-2.

"You've got to see the ball, and we saw balls, so we took them," Padres manager Bud Black said. "The best pitches to swing at are strikes, and we didn't see strikes. We got hits, too. I give our guys the credit."

Despite surrendering a game-tying home run to Placido Polanco in the seventh, Heath Bell (5-3) earned the win. Cla Meredith worked a scoreless ninth as the Padres snapped a four-game losing streak.

Before Bell served up Polanco's solo shot, Greg Maddux was in line to win his first game since May 10, when he notched career victory No. 350.

The 42-year-old Maddux surrendered a home run to the first batter of the game, Curtis Granderson, but allowed little else, yielding four hits and striking out four batters while issuing one intentional walk.

"It wasn't that bad of a pitch, but (Granderson) got me," Maddux said. "Nobody is going to feel sorry for you. I'm glad we won. You've got to just hang with it and do it again in five days and maybe you get a win."

Rookie Chase Headley also homered for the Padres - his second blast of the season in his fourth game since being promoted from Class AAA Portland on Tuesday.

"I think he's having very good at-bats," Black said. "It looks as though he's seeing the ball very well. I think the results that we're seeing now are indicative of how he was swinging in Portland. He's just carried it over."

Detroit starter Eddie Bonine turned in a solid showing in his second major league start. Called up to fill in for the demoted Dontrelle Willis, Bonine allowed two solo home runs - Headley's and a seventh-inning shot by Khalil Greene - over seven innings.

"I'm feeling a little more comfortable out there," Bonine said. "I still need to work on some things, like obviously trying to keep the ball down more frequently. I've still got a lot of work to do."

Granderson had three hits on the night for the Tigers, who had won 10 of 12.