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Padres overcome Peavy's struggles to top D-Backs

Apr 20, 2007 - 3:57 AM SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- Jake Peavy continued his undefeated start, but not without some struggles.

Peavy allowed five runs in 5 1/3 innings and Rob Bowen had three RBI as the San Diego Padres overcame some fatigue by their ace to post an 11-6 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Marcus Giles and Russell Branyan each drove in a pair of runs for the Padres, who secured a split of the two-game series before embarking on a six-game road trip.

San Diego had 12 hits in the contest en route to recording its season high in runs.

"We had great at-bats all the way through," Padres rookie manager Bud Black said. "We took our walks, swung at strikes and did a lot of good things offensively. Our gameplan was to be selective, and we were."

"That was a good game for our team today. Our offense came through again and Jake pitched a great game today," said Bowen, who finished with two hits and scored three times. "We had kind of been struggling with our situational hitting this year and we kind of stepped things up today. Moving guys over, getting guys in, it was good to see."

Peavy (3-0) started the season in dominant form, going 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA in three starts after yielding a run and three hits in seven frames of a 7-2 victory at the Los Angeles Dodgers last Saturday.

The 25-year-old righthander continued to cruise through the early innings against the Diamondbacks, especially after the Padres gave him seven runs of support through the first three frames against Livan Hernandez (1-1).

"We had some runs to give and we did what we needed to do to win the game," Peavy said. "A win is a win, and I'll take it any day of the week."

However, Peavy gave up three runs in the fifth on a home run to young prospect Chris Young and a two-run single by Orlando Hudson.

His problems continued in the sixth despite pleading with Black to remain in the game after giving up an RBI single to rookie Miguel Montero with one out.

Peavy then walked Tony Clark on four pitches to load the bases, forcing Black to go to the bullpen. The righthander finished allowing 10 hits and two walks with eight strikeouts.

"Everything really about my pitching performance today I'm disappointed in," Peavy said. "(The) 5 1/3 (innings) is not what I'm supposed to do and I understand that. I'm disappointed in myself because I know I'm better, but you're going to have days like that."

Heath Bell came on and retired two of the three batters he faced, allowing one inherited runner to score, enabling Arizona to close within 7-5.

"Psychologically, when you are down 7-0 and Peavy on the mound, that can be a little demoralizing, but we kept pecking away and got him out of there and ended up getting fairly close," Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin said. "We just gave up too many more runs after that."

The Diamondbacks got no closer as Khalil Greene and Bowen both hit solo home runs in the seventh off Brandon Medders to rebuild the lead to 9-5.

It was the third outing in the last four that Medders has allowed a run.

"(Medders) has given up some home runs early on and that's something you can't do," Melvin said. "We pitch him in tie games, one down, or one up from the sixth inning on. He has to have better location."

Despite his problems on the mound, Peavy came up big at the plate, finishing with two extra-base hits and two RBI. His two-run triple off Hernandez highlighted a five-run third.

Hernandez allowed seven runs, eight hits and five walks in five innings.

In the third, Hernandez surrendered four straight hits, including Peavy's triple that made it 6-0.

"I had trouble in the third inning, they were hitting everything I threw," Hernandez said. "I have to face them again next week at home and (I will) try to do better than this."