Adrian Gonzalez hits 29th homer, drives in three runs in Padres’ 8-3 win over Mets

Gonzalez homers, leads Padres to 8-3 win over Mets

SAN DIEGO — Adrian Gonzalez hit a two-run homer in a four-run third inning and drove in three runs, leading the San Diego Padres to an 8-3 win over the New York Mets on Thursday night.

Gonzalez’s 29th home run and sacrifice fly in the first helped San Diego jump out to a 7-0 lead as San Diego beat the Mets for the 10th time in 13 games and for the sixth straight time at home.

Rookie Clayton Richard (1-0) had his first big league RBI and took a 7-0 lead into the sixth inning before control problems helped New York to a three-run inning.

Richard, one of four pitchers acquired from the Chicago White Sox last week in the Jake Peavy trade, allowed three runs on five hits in 5 2-3 innings. He received a no decision in his first start with San Diego when he gave up one run on two hits over 5 2-3 innings on Saturday in a 4-2 win over Milwaukee.

Gonzalez had been withheld from the starting lineup the past two games to give him extra rest. His major league-best active games streak was snapped at 314 when he did not play Wednesday against Atlanta.

New York lost for the sixth time in eight games.

After scoring twice in the first, the Padres broke the game open in the third following a leadoff walk to David Eckstein and Gonzalez’s home run to center off Livan Hernandez (7-6).

With one out, the Padres loaded the bases on consecutive walks and a single by Henry Blanco. One run scored on an error by second baseman Alex Cora, filling in for an injured Luis Castillo, and Richard followed with an RBI single.

Blanco, who had three hits, had an RBI double in the fifth to give Richard a 7-0 lead.

The Mets scored three times off Richard in the sixth after the left-hander walked Cora and David Wright to start the inning. Jeff Francoeur singled and a run scored on Tony Gwynn’s error in center field. Fernando Tatis followed with an RBI single and New York added another run on double play groundball.

Hernandez allowed seven runs on eight hits in five innings. The right-hander walked four and struck out two.

NOTES: San Diego traded RHP Chad Gaudin to the New York Yankees for a player to be named or cash considerations. … Gary Sheffield, who aggravated a hamstring injury Wednesday, took batting practice but was held out of the Mets’ starting lineup. … The Padres extended the contract of manager Bud Black through the 2010 season with a club option for 2011. … Mets’ RHP Mike Pelfrey remained in New York with his wife, who was expecting the couples’ first child. Pelfrey, who was scheduled to start on Saturday night, has been pushed back to Monday night at Arizona. Rookie Bobby Parnell will make his first major league start in place of Pelfrey.