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Cameron send Padres past Diamondbacks into first-place tie

Aug 30, 2007 - 6:37 AM By Tim Powers PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- Mike Cameron drove in the go-ahead run as the San Diego Padres pulled even with the Arizona Diamondbacks in the division race with a 3-1 victory on Wednesday.

Brian Giles opened the eighth with a single off reliever Doug Slaten (3-2) before Cameron doubled to left-center off Brandon Lyon to break the stalemate and give the Padres a 2-1 lead. Adrian Gonzalez singled home Cameron to build a 3-1 advantage.

With the win, San Diego (73-59) moved into a tie for first place with Arizona (74-60) in the NL West.

"I just put a good swing on it and I was lucky enough to have it rattle around a little bit so (Giles) could score," Cameron said. "It's always good to come through in the clutch. That wasn't one of his good (fastballs). (Lyon) left that one down in the nitro zone."

Kevin Cameron (2-0) pitched a scoreless seventh to pick up the victory. Heath Bell filled in for closer Trevor Hoffman, retiring the side in ninth to earn his second save in six opportunities.

"There is a lot of season left, but we're swinging the bats and we're pitching well," Padres manager Bud Black said. "A couple of games here have hinged on a couple of at-bats and a few innings. The Diamondbacks are playing well, too. Good ballgames all the way around."

Greg Maddux contributed seven solid innings for the Padres, allowing one run on eight hits. He struck out five and did not issue a walk for the sixth consecutive start, a stretch spanning 42 innings.

"It's still real early, but it's nice to win tonight," Maddux said. "It was good to see Cammy (Cameron) clutch up there in the eighth. Gilly (Giles) got on again and got a big hit for us. There is a lot of baseball left and a lot of time left. Nothing is do-or-die, at least not yet."

"(Maddux is) just a machine out there," Giles said. "He throws strikes and the amazing thing about him is he doesn't miss over the middle of the plate very much. That's hard to do. You can't just hit corners all day." Arizona starter Micah Owings matched Maddux for seven innings, yielding one run on three hits. The rookie righthander got off to a rough start though, allowing the first three runners to reach base before striking out the next three to escape unscathed.

"I kind of put myself in that situation, so I was just trying to work one in there," Owings said. "I grew up watching (Maddux) my whole life. I have the utmost respect for him. You're talking about one of the best ever, in my opinion. Seeing him first-hand and being on the other side was an honor."

The Diamondbacks strung together three hits in the third to jump out to an early lead against Maddux, getting one run on a double by Chris Young.

"We had some opportunities, but (Maddux) made some pitches when he had to," Young said. "They were a little bit better about their situational at-bats and getting bigger hits. We had our opportunities; we just couldn't cash in on them."

San Diego answered in the bottom of the frame when Giles belted a solo shot to right field - his eighth of the year and first at Petco Park - that evened the score at 1-1. Young added two hits for Arizona, which has lost three straight.

Giles had three hits on the night as San Diego won for the seventh time in eight games.

"This is the way this division has been the last couple of years," Giles said. "Nobody is really going to run away with it. We're just happy to be playing well now, and we have a history of playing well in September."