• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Padres edge Marlins again

Aug 20, 2011 - 6:37 AM San Diego, CA (Sports Network) - Wade LeBlanc pitched into the sixth inning and Kyle Blanks belted a two-run homer in San Diego's 4-3 win over Florida.

Will Venable doubled and scored twice for the Padres, who have taken the first two contests of this four-game series. They're 5-0 against the Marlins this season and have captured 11 of the past 13 meetings.

LeBlanc (2-2) allowed six hits and three runs over 5 1/3 innings to win his second straight start. Heath Bell walked John Buck to start the ninth, but retired the next three batters to notch his 34th save. Mike Cameron flied out to the warning track in center to end the game.

Jose Lopez doubled three times and recorded an RBI for the Marlins, who went 1-for-12 with men in scoring position and lost for the sixth time in seven contests.

"We had five or six opportunities to knock in runs. We got to get production out of some of the guys we're counting on," said Florida manager Jack McKeon. "If we don't get production, we're hurting -- and we're hurting."

Chris Volstad (5-10) fanned seven batters, but surrendered six hits and four runs over five frames. He's winless in his last four outings.

LeBlanc singled to center with one out in the fifth. Venable doubled and LeBlanc chugged around third and tried to score, but the relay throw to the plate was in time. LeBlanc appeared to beat Buck's tag, but home plate umpire Larry Vanover called LeBlanc out and was met with a smattering of boos from the crowd.

Venable advanced to third on the throw home and scored on Jason Bartlett's grounder into right field for a 4-2 difference.

Florida outfielder Mike Stanton, who was a late scratch from the lineup due to a sore left big toe, came in to pinch-hit in the sixth inning and struck out with the bases loaded against reliever Erik Hamren. Emilio Bonifacio then walked on four pitches, but Hamren kept the Padres in front by striking out Gaby Sanchez.

The Marlins placed runners at the corners in eighth, but Sanchez grounded into a force play.

Lopez doubled in a run in the first, but Cameron Maybin tied it with an RBI single in the bottom half.

Volstad doubled in Cameron in the fourth, but Blanks connected to left field for his fourth homer of the year in the same inning. The go-ahead hit came with Jesus Guzman on base.

"We just want to get wins. And when we play as a team, we always seem to pull it off," said Blanks.

Game Notes

Maybin is batting .478 (11-for-23) in five games against the Marlins in his career, all this season...Nick Hundley (0-for-3) had his six-game hitting streak snapped and is now batting .458 (11-for-24) over his last seven games since returning from the disabled list...The three doubles by Lopez tied a Marlins franchise record, done 20 times now.