SAN DIEGO (AP) — Left-hander Eric Lauer pitched seven strong innings to win for the first time in seven starts and Greg Garcia had three hits, scored twice and drove in a run for his hometown San Diego Padres, who beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-2 Wednesday for a three-game sweep.
Lauer (3-4) held the Diamondbacks to one run and four hits, struck out seven and walked none to win for the first time since April 8 at San Francisco. Since then he had three losses and three no-decisions. He allowed Eduardo Escobar's RBI double in the sixth before striking out the side in the seventh.
Kirby Yates got the final three outs for his major league-leading 20th save after Adam Warren allowed a run.
Eric Hosmer had a big two-run hit for the second game in a row, this time a single off rookie Merrill Kelly in the three-run first that gave Lauer all the support he needed. Garcia was aboard on a leadoff single. Rookie Ty France doubled in Hosmer.
Hosmer hit a two-run homer off Zack Greinke to help the Padres to a 3-2 victory Tuesday night.
Garcia also doubled in the second and scored on Manny Machado's sacrifice fly, and hit an RBI single in the third during a brief downpour that sent fans scurrying for cover.
Garcia went to Valhalla High in suburban El Cajon and is the grandson of the late Dave Garcia, who was a coach on the Padres' staff in the 1970s and later managed the Angels and Indians. He was claimed off waivers from St. Louis on Nov. 6.
The Padres roughed up Kelly (4-5) for four runs and five hits in 1 2/3 innings. He walked four and struck out none.
Kelly beat the Padres 10-3 here on April 1.
