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Iguchi's Game-Winning Blast In 13th Lifts Padres Over Arizona

POSTED: 5:46 pm PDT April 26, 2008

(Sports Network) - Tadahito Iguchi's solo homer in the bottom of the 13th inning ended a wild affair and gave the San Diego Padres an 8-7 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park.

With one out in the 13th, Yusmeiro Petit grooved a belt-high fastball down the center of the plate that Iguchi turned on and deposited into the left field stands to give the Padres the win.

"It was very similar, at lot like Japan," Iguchi, through a translator, said about the celebration for his homer. "But, in Japan they throw water on you."

Iguchi was 2-for-5 and scored three runs for the Padres, who snapped a five- game losing streak. Adrian Gonzalez went 3-for-6 with three runs batted in, while Brian Giles added a solo homer and scored twice.

Glendon Rusch (1-2) earned the win with four scoreless innings in relief, allowing just two hits. Justin Germano struggled on the mound, allowing six runs on six hits over his five-plus inning start.

"It was a great win against a very hot team," said Padres manager Bud Black. "Every pitch from the seventh inning on was criticial."

Orlando Hudson tripled and drove in two runs for the Diamondbacks, who had a two-game win streak ended. Chris Young was 2-for-6 with a solo home run, while Eric Byrnes had two hits and scored twice.

Petit (0-1) absorbed the loss despite allowing only one hit -- Iguchi's homer -- in 2 1/3 innings. Starter Micah Owings allowed five runs on five hits in five innings, but helped his cause at the plate with three hits, an RBI and two runs scored before he left the game with a twisted ankle.

Jim Edmonds drew a leadoff walk in the home second, moved to second on a wild pitch, headed to third on Greene's groundout, and after Iguchi walked, Edmonds scored when Germano flipped a two-out RBI single to right.

Giles drew a walk to load the bases, then Paul McAnulty slapped a single up the middle to score two more runs, and Gonzalez lined a single to left to drive in Giles and cap the four-run burst.

Young hit a two-run homer in the third, but Giles smashed a solo shot in the fourth to push the lead to 5-2.

Germano's wildness cost him two runs in the second, as a single, two wild pitches and a walk put runners at the corner for Hudson, who drilled a liner to deep right-center for a two-run triple as Arizona pulled within one.

Germano continued to struggle in the sixth, starting the frame by allowing a single to Mark Reynolds and walking Justin Upton before Joe Thatcher came in from the bullpen. A sacrifice bunt moved both runners up a base, and Reynolds scored the tying run when pinch-hitter Chris Burke grounded out to second. Owings then laced a double down the line in right to score Upton and give himself the lead.

Iguchi started the bottom of the frame with a single off reliever Brandon Medders, and with Colt Morton at the plate, Iguchi proceeded to steal second. Morton drew a walk, and three batters later with the bases loaded, Gonzalez lined a single to center that plated the go-ahead runs.

Arizona quickly rallied off Cla Meredith in the top of the seventh as Byrnes doubled and scored the tying run on Conor Jackson's single. The bullpens then settled down, and neither team could put the go-ahead run across through nine innings.

Neither team threatened in extra frames until Iguchi's game-ending blast.

Game Notes

Upton left the game with a leg injury...San Diego scored eight runs despite managing just eight hits...The teams have split the first two of a three-game series. Sunday's finale features a matchup of undefeated aces, as Arizona's Brandon Webb (5-0) will be opposed by San Diego's Jake Peavy (3-0).


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