HOUSTON – Mat Latos really only threw one bad pitch.
It was one too many.
Chris Johnson hit a tying homer in the fourth inning when Latos hung a breaking ball, and the Astros went ahead in the seventh on pinch-hitter Joe Inglett's single, beating the San Diego Padres 5-3 Saturday night.
"I hit my spots for the most part, but I started to leave my ball up," Latos said. "One bad pitch. Wrong pitch to the wrong person."
Latos has allowed three homers in two starts this season. He also walked two batters with one out in the seventh.
"Later in the game, I don't know if I was tired or what, but I just wasn't feeling it," Latos said. "I still feel like I could go out there and compete, but I just didn't execute my pitches. I left some balls up, walked a few guys, and walks always lead to runs in this game."
Inglett hit the first pitch from Chad Qualls for an RBI single. Angel Sanchez also had a run-scoring single in the seventh.
Astros starter Nelson Figueroa settled in after allowing two first inning runs. He went 6 2-3 innings with five strikeouts and two walks.
Melancon (1-0) entered with runners on first and third and got Orlando Hudson to hit a low fly to left but Carlos Lee made a diving catch to end the inning and keep the score tied at 3. Hunter Pence added a diving catch in the ninth.
"That was key to the game," said Padres Manager Bud Black. "Our club talks about that all the time, the importance of defense and how it related to run prevention. You saw two examples tonight late in the game of balls that were hit well that were turned into outs that could have changed the complexion of the game."
Brandon Lyon got his third save in four chances.
Mat Latos (0-2) pitched 6 1-3 innings for the Padres but after striking out Brett Wallace to start the seventh, he walked the next two batters to set up Inglett's go-ahead hit.
Latos had not allowed a run against the Astros in 16 1-3 innings.
Chase Headley came close to having two homers. He settled for two long doubles in helping the Padres build a 3-1 lead after four innings.
Figueroa allowed two runs in the first inning. Will Venable reached on second baseman Matt Downs' fielding error and Hudson walked before Headley hit a long double to the top of the hill in center field.
"He threw the ball well tonight," Hudson said. "He threw his off-speed pitches for strikes and he threw his fastball in there, too.
"He changed the eye-level a little bit, moved the ball up and down real well. He did a great job."
Headley also doubled to the left field wall in the fourth and scored on Brad Hawpe's single to left field for a 3-1 lead.
The Astros got one run in the first. Centerfielder Michael Bourn reached on an infield hit, stole his seventh base this season, and scored on Pence's double between the gap in right-center.
NOTES: Padres outfielder Kyle Blanks is continuing his rehab assignment as a DH with Double-A San Antonio. He went 3 for 6 and scored four runs in Friday's game. Hudson went 0 for 3, ending his 11-game hitting streak. The Padres are eight games into a 20-game stretch without a day off; they won't get a day off until April 28.
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