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Tekotte, Stauffer help Padres edge Nats

May 28, 2011 - 8:38 PM Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Blake Tekotte had the first two hits of his major league career, belting an RBI triple and adding a double to lead the San Diego Padres to a 2-1 victory over the Washington Nationals.

Tim Stauffer (1-3) threw a solid seven innings, picking up the win for the Padres, giving up only one run on four hits while fanning four hitters and walking four.

Heath Bell nailed down his 11th save of the year.

Chase Headley added two hits and Kyle Phillips chipped in with an RBI single to give San Diego just its third victory in its last 11 games.

Laynce Nix belted his seventh home run of the season and Jerry Hairston Jr. added two hits for Washington, which had its momentum halted from Friday's dramatic ninth inning walk-off win thanks to Michael Morse's home run.

Jordan Zimmermann (2-6) threw six strong innings, giving up two runs on five hits while striking out four and walking one to absorb the loss.

Washington pulled within one in the bottom of the seventh when Nix homered to right field to lead off the inning. Morse followed with a single, but Stauffer bounced back to retire the next two hitters and Morse was caught trying to steal second base.

The Nationals threatened again in the eighth when Hairston led off the inning with a double in the left-center gap off Mike Adams. Adams battled back to get pinch-hitter Matt Stairs to pop out, and fanned Rick Ankiel and Ian Desmond to end the inning.

The Nationals kept it a one-run game thanks to some good defense in the top of the ninth. Headley tried to score on Logan Forsythe's single to left field, but was thrown out at the plate.

The Nats made Bell sweat a little in the ninth after Nix struck out, but the ball got away from Phillips to put the tying run on, but Morse grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the game.

Washington threatened in the first inning. After Ankiel led off the game with a groundout, Desmond, Jayson Werth and Nix walked to load the bases. Morse grounded into a double-play.

"At least we're having runners in scoring position and we're having opportunities," Desmond said. "We're definitely moving in the right direction and we'll see how the rest of the series finishes out."

San Diego broke through in the fourth with a two-out, two-run rally. Headley blooped a single into left and Tekotte followed with a triple off the wall in right. Phillips followed with a single to left.

Game Notes

Prior to Saturday's game, the Nationals recalled Collin Balester from Triple-A Syracuse...Roger Bernadina got the afternoon off for Washington after starting 18 consecutive games in center field...Center fielder Tekotte, played in only his third major league game with this being his first start...Desmond was caught stealing for only the second time this season...The Padres are 2-7 this season against NL East opponents...Washington had won 10 of its last 15 games at home...Morse's streak of four consecutive games with a home run was snapped.