Padres rally from early six-run deficit to beat Brewers 11-7

Padres rally from six-run deficit to beat Brewers

SAN DIEGO — David Eckstein drove in three runs and the San Diego Padres came back from a six-run deficit to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 11-7 on Friday night to win their fourth straight game.

On the same day the Padres dealt ace right-hander Jake Peavy to the Chicago White Sox, their offense put up season highs with 11 runs and 17 hits to overcome the shortcomings of one of the starting pitchers they kept.

Peavy, the 2007 National League Cy Young Award winner, waived his no-trade clause to allow San Diego to acquire four pitchers from Chicago, just two months after Peavy vetoed a trade to the same White Sox club.

San Diego starter Chad Gaudin allowed seven runs in the second, before Eckstein capped a four-run fourth with a two-run double against Milwaukee starter Braden Looper.

Will Venable added a two-run home run and Kyle Blanks added a solo shot in the fifth to pull San Diego within 7-6. Blanks, who also singled home a run in the sixth, has hit homers in five of his last 10 games.

Eckstein’s sacrifice fly against Tim Dillard (0-1) in the sixth brought home Tony Gwynn Jr. to make it 8-7.

Prince Fielder had three hits for the Brewers, including a two-run single in the second as Milwaukee sent 13 batters to the plate while scoring a season-high seven runs in the inning.

Edward Mujica (3-4) relieved Gaudin in the second and pitched a career-high 4 1-3 innings, allowing just one hit.

Mujica was originally scheduled to make his first start on Saturday, but returned to the bullpen when San Diego acquired left-hander Clayton Richard along with three other pitchers for Peavy, and slotted Richard for Saturday’s start instead.

Luke Gregerson, Mike Adams, and Heath Bell each pitched a scoreless inning for San Diego, which had lost eight of nine prior to winning four in a row.

Venable drove in a third run with a groundout in the eighth that pushed the score to 11-7.

Milwaukee starter Braden Looper could not make the early cushion hold up, allowing six runs on 10 hits over five innings.

Notes: San Diego replaced hitting coach Jim Lefebvre with Randy Ready, who was the manager of the club’s Triple-A Portland squad. Ready is San Diego’s fifth hitting coach in four years. Dave Magadan, Merv Rettenmund, and Wally Joyner have also held the post over that stretch. Gary Jones will take over as the manager for Portland. … Milwaukee recalled RHP Mike Burns from AAA Nashville on Friday. Burns will make the start Saturday for the Brewers. … San Diego honored former closer and all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman with a ceremony prior to the game. Hoffman left San Diego as a free agent in the offseason.