SAN DIEGO -- At last, the San Diego Padres put it all together.
Ramon Vazquez singled in the winning run in the 10th inning, Matt Herges pitched out of a bases-loaded jam and Sean Burroughs turned in two outstanding defensive plays in San Diego's 6-5 win over the Florida Marlins on Tuesday night.
The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Padres, who had dropped 13 of 15. The Marlins lost for the first time in three games since Jack McKeon took over as manager Sunday for the fired Jeff Torborg.
"This was a big win," Herges said. "I can't emphasize that enough with everything that we've been through."
The Padres made a number of key plays, perhaps none more important than the defensive gem turned in by Burroughs that helped Herges (1-0) escape a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the 10th.
On a sharp grounder by Juan Encarnacion down the third-base line, Burroughs backhanded the ball and threw from his knees to force Luis Castillo at the plate.
"It was just an instinctive play," said Burroughs, who also turned a third-to-first double play in the sixth inning. "(Castillo) was a little bit in the baseline. I just wanted to throw it straight."
Herges got out of the inning when he got Todd Hollandsworth, his brother-in-law, to fly out to end the threat.
"It's difficult, but something that I have to get over," Herges said about facing Hollandsworth. "He's got to take care of my sister and nephew, but I have to feed my family, too."
McKeon knew his team wasted some opportunities.
"We had a lot of chances," he said. "(Burroughs) made some great plays. You have to say that Burroughs turned that game around."
After Florida tied it at 5 on Mike Lowell's second homer of the game, a two-run shot off Brandon Villafuerte in the eighth, San Diego rallied in the 10th.
Keith Lockhart drew a leadoff walk from Braden Looper (3-2) and advanced on Rondell White's infield single. Lockhart scored when Vazquez singled sharply up the middle.
"I made a good pitch, but he just chopped down on it," Looper said. "I messed up walking the leadoff hitter. You can't do that in a close game."
San Diego's Mark Loretta homered and drove in three runs.
Loretta hit a solo homer in the first inning off Brad Penny and capped a four-run second inning with a two-run double to give the Padres a 5-3 lead.
Brian Lawrence settled down after he allowed back-to-back solo homers in the first inning to Lowell and Derrek Lee . Lawrence gave up three runs and seven hits in six innings.
Penny allowed five runs and seven hits in six innings.
Florida started the second with a single by Encarnacion and a double by Hollandsworth. But Vazquez, the shortstop, threw out Encarnacion at the plate on a relay.
Hollandsworth scored on a sacrifice fly by Alex Gonzalez for a 3-1 lead.
San Diego used three doubles and a pair of walks in the third to score four runs and take a 5-3 lead.
After Xavier Nady hit a one-out double, Shane Victorino was walked. Lawrence followed with a two-run double, Vazquez walked and Loretta hit a two-run double.
Notes
- McKeon was trying to become only the second Marlins manager to start 3-0. Florida won its first three games in 1997 under Jim Leyland .
- Of Hollandsworth's last 18 hits, 16 have been for extra bases.
- Villafuerte has allowed six home runs in 27 1/3 innings.
- Lowell's multihomer game was his fifth, his first since Sept. 5 vs. Philadelphia.
- Hollandsworth is 2-for-6 with a double off Herges. ... Lawrence was coming off a 12-5 loss at Montreal on Thursday in which he allowed 10 runs -- nine earned -- and nine hits over a career-low 2 2/3 innings.
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