Padilla pitches Rangers to 2-1 victory over Diamondbacks, snapping a five-game skid

Rangers defeat Diamondbacks 2-1

PHOENIX — Vicente Padilla pitched seven sharp innings, Taylor Teagarden and David Murphy drove in a run each and the Texas Rangers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-1 on Wednesday night to snap a five-game losing streak.

The Rangers entered tied for first in the AL West with the Los Angeles Angels, and were in danger of dropping out of first place for the first time since May 5.

Padilla (6-3) allowed one run and six hits, walked two and struck out three. Padilla, who broke in with Arizona in 1999, has won five of his last six decisions.

Chris Wilson pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his seventh save in eight chances.

Arizona’s Dan Haren (6-5) allowed two runs in seven innings but lost for the first time since May 12, a span of seven starts. He entered with a league-leading 2.23 ERA, and was riding a personal three-game win streak

For Haren, the game evoked memories of early in the season, when he received scant run support.

Texas took a 1-0 lead in the second. Haren hit the first batter, Marlon Byrd, then walked Hank Blalock.

After Brandon Boggs struck out, Teagarden, hitting .228, doubled down the left field line to score Byrd.

An inning later, Ian Kinsler led off with a single, stole second (his 15th in 17 attempts) and scored on a single by Murphy to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead.

That was all Haren allowed in a 116-pitch outing. He retired the last 11 batters he faced. Haren gave up four hits, walked one and struck out eight.

Padilla was even better.

He worked in and out of trouble in the first four innings before the Diamondbacks cut the lead in half on Felipe Lopez’ RBI single in the fifth.

In the sixth, Arizona’s Gerardo Parra tripled with one out. But Padilla struck out Tony Clark, hitting .171, and then got .221-hitting Eric Byrnes to bounce to second to end the inning.

Arizona threatened again in the eighth against Frank Francisco. He gave up a leadoff double to Stephen Drew, then got hot-hitting Justin Upton to foul out to first base, struck out NL strikeout leader Mark Reynolds and retired Parra on an easy fly to left field.

Notes: Rangers SS Omar Vizquel will likely play Thursday. He has 2,677 hits, tied with Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio for the all-time record for a native of Venezuela. … Arizona CF Chris Young missed his fifth straight start with a groin injury. He pinch-hit in the ninth and struck out. … Diamondbacks manager A.J. Hinch said he plans to call NL manager Charlie Manuel this weekend to tout three Diamondbacks for All-Star consideration — Haren, Upton and Reynolds.