Milwaukee, WI – Chase Headley clinched the National League RBI title by knocking in a pair of runs, one of which came on a seventh-inning triple that helped lift the San Diego Padres to a 7-6 decision over the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2012 season finale for both clubs at Miller Park.
Headley also delivered a run-scoring double to finish with 115 RBI, three more than Milwaukee's Ryan Braun. The third baseman is the second Padre ever to lead the NL in that category, joining Dave Winfield in 1979.
"It was just neat," said Headley afterward. "It's a tremendous honor."
Cameron Maybin added a two-run homer and Chris Denorfia had a solo shot to help San Diego (76-86) rally back from a 6-0 deficit and end a three-game losing streak.
Six Padre relievers contributed to the comeback by combining for 6 1/3 scoreless innings, with Tommy Layne (2-0) earning the win with a perfect 1 1/3 frames of work.
"It showed a lot about our guys to come back from 6-0 down," said Padres manager Bud Black. "For Chase, to hang on to the RBI lead was a great thing. It was awesome."
Travis Ishikawa drove in four runs for Milwaukee (83-79), which had taken the first two tests of this series but fell short in its quest for a second straight postseason appearance.
"Not making the playoffs was a disappointment, but when you consider all the new guys that came up, finishing above .500 was definitely an accomplishment," Braun stated.
The Brewers' Josh Stinson allowed just one run on three hits over four innings in his first major league start. Jim Henderson (1-3) was saddled with the loss after surrendering two runs as San Diego pulled ahead in the seventh.
Henderson came on to protect a 6-5 Milwaukee lead and promptly walked Will Venable before Headley's fly ball down the left-field line eluded a diving Braun and brought home the tying run.
Henderson struck out Yasmani Grandal immediately afterward, but Yonder Alonso hit a fly ball to center that plated Headley and put the Padres ahead.
The Brewers went down in order in the seventh and eighth, but did put the potential tying run on in the ninth when Alonso misplayed Jean Segura's grounder. However, Luke Gregerson retired the next two hitters to end the game and register his ninth save.
Milwaukee put up single runs in both the first and second innings to take an early lead, then tacked on four more in the third to extend its advantage to 6-0.
Rickie Weeks singled and stole second before coming around on Aramis Ramirez's base hit for the first run. Carlos Gomez opened the second with a base hit, advanced a base on an errant pickoff threw by San Diego starter Andrew Werner, then swiped third before scoring on an Ishikawa ground out.
The Brewers then widened the margin in the third, sending eight men to the plate in a frame that began with a Norichika Aoki base hit. Braun singled two batters later and Lucroy later stroked a two-out double for a 3-0 cushion. After Gomez was intentionally walked to load the bases, Ishikawa drilled a double off the right-field wall to clear the sacks and end Werner's evening.
San Diego got on the board on Denorfia's solo shot in the fourth, then scored twice in the next two innings to move within 6-5.
Alexi Amarista opened the fifth with a double, took third on an Everth Cabrera single, then came in when Segura mishandled a throw from catcher Lucroy on Cabrera's steal attempt. Headley later smacked an opposite-field ground-rule double to cut the Padres' deficit to 6-3.
Maybin got San Diego even closer by following a Denorfia single with his eighth home run of the season, which came off reliever Brandon Kintzler.
Werner lasted just 2 2/3 innings for the Padres and was tagged for six runs -- five earned -- on seven hits.
Game Notes
Stinson made 14 relief appearances with the New York Mets last season and five more as a member of the Brewers this year ... Braun finished atop the NL with 41 home runs, the first Milwaukee player to do so since Prince Fielder swatted 50 in 2007 ... Milwaukee first baseman Corey Hart sat out a second straight game due to plantar fasciitis in his left foot ... Ramirez drove in his 103rd run as a third baseman this season, establishing a new club record at the position he had shared with Casey McGehee (2010).
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