Houston’s Streak Ends as Padres Rally to Win

Garry Templeton lined a two-run double in the eighth inning, keying a four-run outburst that gave the San Diego Padres an 11-7 victory over Houston Wednesday, snapping the Astros’ four-game winning streak.

The Padres, who had squandered a 7-1 lead, opened the eighth with a walk by Carmelo Martinez. Bruce Bochy, who earlier hit a two-run homer, doubled pinch-runner John Kruk to third, and after reliever Frank DiPino, 1-2, walked Jerry Royster intentionally to load the bases, Templeton lined his game-winning hit down the right field line.

Lance McCullers, 2-1, followed with a run-scoring sacrifice bunt, and Leon Roberts accounted for the final run with an infield hit.

The 11-run outburst was the Padres’ highest score of the year.

The Astros trailed 7-1 after five innings before Denny Walling helped spark the comeback with a two-run homer in the sixth off Andy Hawkins.

Houston capitalized on a pair of Padres errors in the seventh to score four runs off relievers LaMarr Hoyt and McCullers to tie the game 7-7.

After Craig Reynolds singled in a run, Hoyt walked Jose Cruz, loading the bases and bringing in McCullers.

Glenn Davis hit a grounder that bounced off third baseman Jerry Royster’s glove for a run-scoring error. Templeton picked up the ball, but threw wildly to second for a second error and another run. The final run of the inning scored on Walling’s sacrifice fly.

A run-scoring single by Cruz in the first had given the Astros a 1-0 lead, but Bochy’s two-run homer in the second off Mike Madden put the Padres ahead 2-1.

San Diego added three more runs in the third on run-scoring singles by Tony Gwynn and Steve Garvey and Madden’s wild pitch, which allowed another run to score.

San Diego made it 7-1 after Hawkins opened the fifth with a single. Leon Roberts tripled Hawkins home, then scored on Marvell Wynne’s double.

Gwynn, who was 2 for 2, was forced to leave the game after the third inning when he injured a tendon in his left knee.