Patterson Has Sense of Belonging

John Patterson knows his first trip to the big leagues probably won’t last long. He just wanted to show he belonged.

Mission accomplished.

In his second major league start, Patterson shut out San Diego into the eighth inning Thursday as the Arizona Diamondbacks won their fourth in a row, 10-0, over the Padres.

Matt Williams hit a three-run homer as the Diamondbacks extended their lead in the National League West to a season-high four games over San Francisco and the Dodgers.

Patterson (1-0) gave up five hits in 7 1/3 innings in his first major league victory. He left the game to a standing ovation after giving up singles to Gene Kingsdale and Trenidad Hubbard in the eighth.

In the clubhouse, teammates doused Patterson with beer.

The outing matched the longest for Patterson since he missed nearly all of the 2000 season because of elbow surgery.

“I knew I could do this. I learned the work that it took to be a major league pitcher and stay consistent, and not just come in for a couple of starts and disappear,” he said. “Yeah, I always believed I could do this. It’s not really a surprise.”

The 24-year-old right-hander was brought up as a stop-gap when Rick Helling went on the injured list with a sore right ankle. Helling is scheduled to come back for his next start Aug. 2.

In two starts, both against San Diego, since being called up from triple-A Tucson, Patterson has given up one run and eight hits in 13 1/3 innings.

“We can’t figure him out,” Padre Manager Bruce Bochy said. “He threw strikes, had good command. He has good stuff.”