Miami, FL – The San Diego Padres utilized spacious Marlins Park to top the Miami Marlins, 9-2, in the opener of a four-game set.
Logan Forsythe led San Diego's offensive barrage. He had three hits including a two-run home run.
Will Venable knocked in three runs on three hits.
Edinson Volquez (6-6) capitalized on the run support to earn the win. The right-hander gave up two runs on seven hits and struck out eight in six innings.
The Padres roughed up Ricky Nolasco (4-8) for six runs -- five earned -- on 11 hits in five-plus innings. Eleven of the 19 balls put in play against Nolasco turned into hits.
"It was just a struggle today," Nolasco said. "I thought I was going to be able to turn the corner there. They just kind of got me. I couldn't put guys away. I just kind of buried the team right there."
Giancarlo Stanton doubled in a run and scored another for Miami, which ended its three-game winning streak.
Stanton helped give the Marlins the lead in the first inning. He picked up a two-out single and scored on Logan Morrison's triple.
San Diego tied the game in the second. Chase Headley singled, stole second, then scored when Venable poked a base hit to center field.
The Padres took the lead in the third after Volquez led off with a base hit. The next batter, Forsythe, launched a hanging curveball over the left-field fence, giving the Padres a 3-1 lead.
Stanton made it 3-2 in the bottom of the third when he sliced a double into right to score Placido Polanco, but that was as close as the Marlins would get.
San Diego picked up three runs in the sixth to put the game out of reach. Headley led off with a single and moved to third when Kyle Blanks legged out a double. Yasmani Grandal dropped a base hit in front of left fielder Juan Pierre to plate a run. Venable then lined a single to right, the Padres' fourth straight hit to start the inning, to score Blanks and chase Nolasco from the game.
Ryan Webb entered and induced a fielder's choice at second base, but Grandal scored from second, just beating the tag on a controversial call at the plate, to make the score 6-2.
The Padres picked up a run in the seventh when Alexi Amarista tripled and scored on a passed ball then capped the scoring with two in the eighth. Grandal doubled and scored on Venable's single and Venable came home on Amarista's base hit, making the score 9-2.
"We stringed together some good at-bats," Venable said. "We put the pressure on those guys and just kept it coming with the good at-bats and found some holes and just a good, all-around game for us."
Game Notes
San Diego has come from behind in its last eight wins ... The Padres, who swept a three-game set at home earlier this season, have won all four of their matchups with Miami this year ... San Diego is 11-6 against the National League East this season ... Volquez is 5-0 with a 1.95 earned run average (eight earned runs in 37 innings) in his career against the Marlins ... Nolasco struck out six and sits at 994 in his career ... Miami had allowed three or fewer runs in its previous 10 games ... San Diego went 5-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left seven on base while Miami went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left nine on base.
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