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Gonzalez has career-high six hits in Padres' win

Aug 12, 2009 - 5:13 AM MILWAUKEE(AP) -- Adrian Gonzalez credited his teammates with giving him the chance to leave his mark in San Diego's record book.

Gonzalez set a career high with six hits and the Padres had their best offensive output of the season, beating the struggling Milwaukee Brewers 13-6 on Tuesday night.

He singled in the first, fifth, sixth, seventh and ninth, and doubled in the third as the Padres had 22 hits - at least two hits in every inning except the fourth when they were retired in order.

"It's a pretty cool accomplishment," Gonzalez said after becoming the first San Diego player to have six hits in a nine-inning game and fourth to do it overall. "It's more of a tribute to the rest of the guys, the whole team. I was able to do it in nine innings just because everybody hit. I was able to get six at-bats in nine innings."

Padres Hall of Famer Tony Gywnn, who was at the game as a television commentator, went 6 for 7 in a 12-inning game against the San Francisco Giants on Aug. 4, 1993.

"I think 6 for 6 is pretty cool whether you do it extra innings or not," he said. "Everything was working for me tonight."

One hit for Gonzalez was a little more special than the other five: A two-run single off left-handed reliever Mitch Stetter with the bases loaded helped break the game open in the six-run sixth.

Gonzalez said that he had been trying to stay close to the plate more over the last 10 days or so, especially against lefties.

"I've hit the ball well against lefties, but my numbers aren't where I would like them to be against lefties," he said. "So, definitely being able to get an 0-2 pitch, a good pitch that he made down in the zone, and still being able to stay on it and stay through it so I can lift it enough to get it over the first baseman's head was probably the best at-bat of the day."

Gonzalez came in batting .190 against left-handers and .292 versus right-handers.

Brewers manager Ken Macha had nothing good to say about his bumbling team.

"I don't have a whole lot to say tonight," he said. "We never did get Gonzalez out."

Chase Headley and Kevin Kouzmanoff each had three hits, and Will Venable and Gonzalez had three RBIs apiece.

San Diego won for the 10th time in 14 games, setting a season high for runs against Milwaukee - and starter Braden Looper - for the second time in 12 days.

On July 31, Looper gave up six runs and 10 hits over five innings, but ended up with a no-decision in an 11-7 loss to the Padres.

"I made a couple of bad pitches and it seems that's the story of my life this year," Looper said. "Every bad pitch I make, they don't pop up."

Clayton Richard (2-0) went six innings and allowed four runs on six hits, struck out three and walked two, facing Milwaukee for the second time this month in his third start for the Padres.

He settled down after allowing Mike Cameron's solo home run in the first and Felipe Lopez's RBI single in the second and allowed just one hit from the third inning until the sixth, when Bill Hall hit a two-run homer.

The left-hander was one of four pitchers acquired from the White Sox at the trade deadline for Jake Peavy.

The Brewers, who just finished 4-5 on a nine-game road trip, slipped two games under .500 (55-57). It was the most hits they have allowed since the Los Angeles Dodgers had 18 en route to a 17-4 victory on Aug. 4.

The Padres chased Looper (10-6) and then pounded Stetter in the sixth when they sent 11 men to the plate and scored six runs on four hits, two errors and two intentional walks.

Venable and Henry Blanco hit solo shots in the second off Looper who leads the majors with 29 home runs allowed. He went five innings, allowed seven runs-five earned-on 11 hits.

Kouzmanoff's RBI single in the fifth put the Padres ahead to stay.

Tony Gywnn, acquired from Milwaukee for Jody Gerut on May 21, returned to Miller Park for the first time since the trade. Pinch hitting for Richard, he doubled and scored in the seventh.

NOTES: The Brewers optioned RHP Chris Smith (0-0, 3.62 ERA, 23 games) to Triple-A Nashville to make room for RHP David Weathers (3-3, 3.32 ERA, 43 appearances) who was acquired from Cincinnati on Sunday for a player to be named. ... Padres RHP Cesar Carrillo will make his major league debut against the Brewers on Thursday. The club will make a corresponding roster move after Wednesday night's game.