NEWS » The Arizona Diamondbacks are making themselves right at home at Pet

SAN DIEGO (AP) — co Park.Paul Goldschmidt hit a two-run home run http://www.astrosfanproshop.com/authentic-justin-verlander-jersey , Steven Souza Jr. drove in three and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the San Diego Padres 9-4 on Friday night.Goldschmidt drove the first pitch he saw from left-hander Joey Lucchesi out to left-center field for his 28th of the season. That got Arizona going en route to its sixth straight win over San Diego at Petco Park.“I thought it was a really good job by our guys to attack the starting pitcher,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “Goldie with the big two-run homerun got us that lead, and we kept adding on.”Souza doubled into the right-center gap with the bases loaded to bring home three runs in the sixth and extend the lead to 8-3.Robbie Ray started for Arizona and walked his first two batters. While Ray held San Diego to two hits, both by Eric Hosmer, he allowed three runs over 4 2/3 innings. Ray walked five and struck out three.“It was all self-inflicted,” Ray said. “I walked too many guys and they ended up scoring. In crucial situations like that, I’m trying to get a call. It’s tough. They got two hits tonight, but it was on me.”Hosmer homered in the fifth on a ball that just cleared the left field fence beyond Jon Jay’s glove. Arizona challenged the call as it appeared a fan interfered with Jay while spilling a beer Jose Altuve Jersey , but the call was upheld after replay review.“I thought I had a beat on it, and I thought he moved my hand when I was right there,” Jay said. “I got a little beer on my side — I didn’t get any in my mouth.”Manuel Margot hit a ball to nearly the same spot in the eighth and Jay made another leaping attempt, but a fan caught the ball above Jay’s glove for a solo homer that cut the lead to 9-4.Eduardo Escobar added a solo home run in the eighth against Jose Castillo.“You look at command, their guy walked five guys, our guy walked three guys,” Padres manager Andy Green said. “Their guy skated by with no more command today and got off the hook. We took our walks early. They made us pay.”Lucchesi (6-7) allowed five runs and nine hits over four innings. He struck out six and walked three.“I think the biggest mistake I had was leaving all my pitches over the plate, and they took advantage of it http://www.astrosfanproshop.com/authentic-justin-verlander-jersey ,” Lucchesi said. “I wasn’t as sharp. I’ve got to do better than that.”San Diego, which has the worst record in the National League at 48-77, has dropped five straight.YOU’RE OUTTA HEREDiamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed was ejected in the third by home plate umpire James Hoye after striking out looking. Daniel Descalsco replaced Ahmed in the lineup. It was Ahmed’s second career ejection.TRAINER’S ROOMPadres: LHP Eric Lauer made a rehab start at Class A Lake Elsinore on Friday night. Lauer has been sidelined since July 31 with a left forearm strain.UP NEXTDiamondbacks: RHP Zack Godley (13-6, 4.20) takes the mound in the third game of the series. Godley is 4-0 in his last eight starts.Padres: LHP Clayton Richard gets the call and looks to continue a stretch of pitching five innings or more in his last four starts. JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Going into spring training, St. Louis manager Mike Shildt delivered the message second baseman Kolten Wong always wanted to hear.Wong wouldn’t have to prove himself. He didn’t have to be perfect. Wong would be the Cardinals‘ starting second baseman.“It’s something I’ve asked for since I got to the big leagues, just a chance to go out there and play everyday,” Wong said.Last year’s midseason managerial change relaxed Wong. And a comfortable Wong proved to be a valuable player.“Kolten George Springer Jersey , last year, he may have been the best second baseman in baseball the second half of last season,” said Shildt, who replaced Mike Matheny in mid-July.A career .255 hitter over six seasons with an above-average glove, the 28-year-old Wong hit no better than .210 in any one of the three months prior to Matheny’s firing and no worse than .280 in any month that followed.Wong doesn’t believe the improvement coincidental.“Shildt came in and it gave me that flexibility to be myself and play my game,” Wong said. “The rest is history, I guess.”Matheny’s intensity,Wong said Evan Gattis Jersey , never allowed him to feel comfortable in his role.“I will just say the leash wasn’t too long for me, that’s just how it went,” Wong said. “It was a very short leash. It’s tough to play when you have that kind of pressure. Obviously, I want to play every day. In order for me to play every day it was a make-or-break situation every single day. It was tough.”Wong is taking an aggressive approach this spring. Unafraid of making mistakes, he’s looking to take the extra base. At the plate, he’s able to work on his swing or situational hitting without feeling the pressure produce statistically.Wong is hitting .269 with a homer, a double and two stolen bases in Grapefruit League play.“Before I felt like I was kind of getting tested from the very beginning and if I wasn’t doing good it was kind of, shame on me http://www.astrosfanproshop.com/authentic-justin-verlander-jersey ,” Wong said. “It was a tough time for me trying to figure out how to just go out there and play my game without having that pressure — if I don’t do good today, I’m definitely not going to play tomorrow.”Possessing a nice blend of power and speed, in years past Wong expressed his desire to hit at the top of the order. With Matt Carpenter and Dexter Fowler healthy, that won’t happen.Shildt expects Wong to create scoring opportunities from the bottom of the lineup.“Kolten’s our second baseman,” Shildt said. “I think it’s pretty clear that’s the case. He knows that. He’s had a solid spring across the board. He’s in a good place.”