SAN DIEGO — Kyle Tucker hit a tiebreaking two-run home run in the eighth inning and Carlos Correa’s three-run shot in the fourth ended a 22-inning scoreless streak for the Houston Astros, who beat the scuffling San Diego Padres 6-3 on Friday night.
Tucker homered with two outs off Emilio Pagán (4-1) into the deck atop the right field wall, his 23rd. Alex Bregman was aboard on a single.
The AL West-leading Astros were coming off consecutive shutout losses at Seattle. They hadn’t scored since the eighth inning of a 4-3 win over the Mariners on Monday.
Correa snapped that streak when he drove a shot off the top of a planter in front of the batter’s eye in center against Jake Arrieta with two outs in the fourth. Michael Brantley was aboard on a leadoff single and Tucker walked with one out ahead of Correa’s 21st homer.
Correa’s drive gave Houston a 3-1 lead. The Padres tied it on an RBI double with one out in the fifth by Tommy Pham, who was pinch-hitting for Arrieta, and a single by Austin Nola with one out in the sixth.
It was Houston’s first game at Petco Park since it lost Game 7 of the AL Championship Series to Tampa Bay in the playoff bubble last season.
Blake Taylor (3-4) got the final out of the seventh for the win. Ryan Pressly pitched the ninth for his 23rd save.
The Astros added a run in the ninth on Jake Meyers’ single that ate up first baseman Eric Hosmer.
The Padres have lost seven of 10 and remain a half game behind Cincinnati for the second wild-card spot.
Arrieta allowed three runs and three hits in five innings in his second start since the Padres signed him as a minor league free agent on Aug. 16. A mild left hamstring strain forced him out of his Padres debut on Aug. 18 at Colorado and he was placed on the injured list. He was activated before Friday’s game.
Houston’s José Urquidy went 4 1/3 innings in his first start since June 29, allowing two runs and five hits. He missed two months with right shoulder discomfort.
He allowed Pham’s RBI double and Manny Machado’s RBI infield single with two outs in the third, which originally was ruled a groundout but was overturned after video review.
UP NEXT
LHP Framber Valdez (9-4, 2.91) of the Astros and RHP Joe Musgrove (9-8, 2.85) are scheduled to start Saturday night in the middle game of the series. Musgrove is coming off his second complete game shutout of the season, a three-hitter at the Angels. His first was the Padres’ first-ever no-hitter, at Texas on April 9.
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