SAN DIEGO — Kyle Blanks hit a three-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning to a snap a 1-1 tie and lift the San Diego Padres to their season-high sixth straight victory, 4-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday.
Blanks' eighth home run of the season came off reliever David Hernandez (2-4) and made a winner out of Clayton Richard (2-5), giving the Padres a three-game sweep.
Huston Street came on in the ninth to pick up his 13th save in 14 opportunities for the Padres (35-34), who moved above 500., for the first time since closing the 2010 season with a 90-72 record.
The Padres have gone 30-19 since May 1, are 21-7 in their last 28 home games and have pulled within two games of first-place Arizona in the NL West.
Everth Cabrera opened the eighth with his third single of the game and Chase Headley walked with two outs before Blanks hit a 1-2 pitch 379 feet into the left-field bleachers.
Up until that point the game had been an outstanding pitcher's duel between Richard and Arizona's Ian Kennedy.
Richard pitched a season-high eight innings, allowing one run on seven hits with one strikeout. He was at his best in the sixth when he got Paul Goldschmidt to ground into a 4-6-3, inning-ending double play with runners on first and third.
Kennedy, who is appealing a 10-game suspension for his part in a the team's recent brawl with the Los Angeles Dodgers, pitched six innings, giving up one run on four hits with six strikeouts and a walk.
