Loss Is Ninth in 12 Games for Padres

Claudio Vargas combined with three relievers on a five-hitter and hit a two-run double Saturday to lead Arizona to a 5-3 victory over San Diego.

The defending National League West champion Padres lost for the ninth time in 12 games.

Vargas entered with only three hits, but two were doubles. He hit another with two out in the fifth to give the Diamondbacks a 2-0 lead.

Padres rookie Mike Thompson (3-4), making an emergency start for injured Clay Hensley, had faced only one batter over the minimum until center fielder Mike Cameron misplayed Orlando Hudson’s fly ball into a double with one out in the fifth. After Stephen Drew struck out, catcher Chris Snyder was intentionally walked to get to Vargas. The pitcher then doubled into the gap in left-center field.

“That’s my second time they walk the catcher and I got a base hit,” Vargas said. “He threw me a fastball up and in the middle of the plate. That’s the first two runs of the game.”

The inconsistent Padres, who beat the Diamondbacks, 8-2, on Friday night, managed only three hits and one run against Vargas (10-8) in seven innings.

“Early in the game we had a tough time figuring out Vargas,” Padres Manager Bruce Bochy said.

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ROUNDUP

at New York 7, Colorado 4: The Mets honored their 1986 World Series championship team, then took care of the Rockies by scoring six runs in the sixth inning.

at Chicago 5, St. Louis 4: Phil Nevin’s game-winning single in the 10th inning gave the Cubs their fifth victory in six games. St. Louis is 1-8 at Wrigley Field.

at Cincinnati 14, Pittsburgh 7: David Ross homered and drove in a career-high five runs, and the Reds maintained their one-game lead in the National League wild-card race.

at Philadelphia 11, Washington 2: Ryan Howard smacked his 43rd home run for the Phillies. The Nationals’ Alfonso Soriano hit his 40th homer.

Atlanta 5, at Florida 3: Brian McCann had three hits and three runs batted in, and the Braves won three games in a row for the first time in a month.

at Milwaukee 6, Houston 4: The Brewers broke a third-place tie with Houston in the NL Central and trail wild-card leader Cincinnati by four games.