SAN DIEGO – The San Diego Padres will take any win these days, even if they have to work extra to get it.
David Eckstein singled in the winning run with one out in the 10th inning and San Diego beat Arizona 4-3 on Thursday in Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin’s last game before being fired (Story, 1C).
It was the second time in three games the Padres won in 10 innings, and just their fourth win in 17 games.
“It’s really big for this club,” Eckstein said. “Hopefully one day we’ll win a game where it’s not as close and as much pressure, but that seems like the only way we know how to win right now.
“This club has showed a lot of heart, especially in the tough times that we’ve been going through. We’ve just got to keep pushing forward.”
Eckstein, who entered the game for defensive purposes in the top of the inning, lined a shot just past first baseman Josh Whitesell to bring in Kevin Kouzmanoff.
Kouzmanoff started the winning rally with a one-out double to left-center off Esmerling Vasquez (0-1), his third straight hit. Nick Hundley and Chris Burke, who was with Arizona last year, walked to load the bases and bring up Eckstein.
“You enjoy being in that role,” Eckstein said. “I was very disappointed last night not coming through in that situation. So having the opportunity to make up for it was nice. I was just trying to put the ball in play and luckily found a hole.”
Arizona’s Justin Upton doubled and singled to extend his hitting streak to 14 games.
Right-hander Dan Haren had a hand in the Diamondbacks taking a 2-0 lead in the third. Attempting to sacrifice with Chris Snyder on first, the two-time All-Star bunted foul and took a called strike before hitting an RBI double down the left-field line. Haren advanced on shortstop Chris Burke’s error and scored on Felipe Lopez’s sacrifice fly.
San Diego tied it with two in the fifth when four straight batters reached with two outs, including Edgar Gonzalez and Scott Hairston with consecutive RBI singles. San Diego right-hander Chris Young drew a two-out walk to start the rally.
“I was cruising along, pitch-countwise,” Haren said. “Then I really had to work hard in the fifth and sixth inning. I started getting a little tired.”
Eric Byrnes hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the sixth to give the Diamondbacks a 3-2 lead before the Padres tied it again when ex-Arizona Wildcat Nick Hundley doubled in Kouzmanoff.
Haren, who had won three straight starts, allowed three runs and eight hits in six innings. His ERA went from 1.47 to 1.84, fourth-best in the majors.