SAN DIEGO -- Ryan Klesko's first home run of the season came just in time for the San Diego Padres.
Klesko hit a three-run shot off Matt Mantei in the ninth inning Sunday, giving San Diego a 6-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Padres rallied against the hard-throwing Mantei after beginning the game facing knuckleballer Steve Sparks.
"It was kind of a frustrating day to start out," Klesko said. "We left a lot of runners on base and Sparksy pitched out of a lot of situations where we had some opportunities to score. So it's big, real big."
Mantei (0-2) relieved to start the ninth with a 5-3 lead, faced four batters and didn't get any out. He fell behind 2-0 in the count before Klesko sent a drive over the left-field fence.
"I just had no command," Mantei said. "You can't fall behind guys like that."
Klesko got just the pitch he wanted for only the third homer by the Padres in nine games at spacious new Petco Park.
"That guy throws so hard," Klesko said. "He's a closer who throws good stuff. I got a good fastball over the plate to drive somewhere. That's the whole situation -- me getting a good pitch to hit and being quick."
Mark Loretta led off the ninth with his third single of the game, Brian Giles walked and Phil Nevin singled to drive in the first run of the inning.
Eddie Oropesa (2-1) won despite allowing a ninth-inning homer to Luis Gonzalez, his fourth of the season. Richie Sexson hit a three-run shot in the first inning for Arizona, and Bobby Estalella also connected.
"Especially after Gonzalez, it was pretty deflating," Loretta said. "We were going against a tough closer. It's not that we had given up, but we were deflated a little bit. This should give us a good push."
San Diego went 5-4 on its first homestand of the season. Going into the ninth, the Padres were 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
"It was just a matter of time," manager Bruce Bochy said. "I know we were pressing and wanting to come through. We just have to relax. We have enough good hitters that one guy doesn't have to carry the club."
Sparks, who has lost 12 consecutive decisions, gave up two runs and nine hits over 5 2/3 innings, leaving with a 3-2 lead.
"He just did a tremendous job," Diamondbacks manager Bob Brenly said. "That knuckleball was darting and diving."
Mantei blew a save for the first time in three opportunities this season. A year ago, he converted 22 of his last 23 chances, finishing with 29 saves on the season.
"I've shaken off worse ones than this," Mantei said. "I'll be all right. We have a day off (Monday), and I'll forget about it when we leave the clubhouse. It's just unfortunate. As well as we played, we should have won it."
Adam Eaton allowed three runs and five hits in six innings, falling behind 3-0 when Sexson homered for the second straight day, raising his season total to five.
Khalil Greene's RBI single in the fourth and pinch-hitter Terrence Long's sacrifice fly in the sixth pulled the Padres within a run.
Estalella made it 4-2 with a seventh-inning homer off Jason Szuminski.
"This was a good way to end a homestand," said Bochy, whose club avoided losing for the fourth time in five games. "It's also a good way to start a road trip."
Notes
- Giles went 0-for-4 in the game and 0-for-10 in the series, extending his hitless streak to 19 at-bats.
- Arizona's Matt Kata ended an 0-for-10 skid with an infield single in the first inning. Sean Burroughs batted the grounder down behind third base but couldn't make a play.
- Eaton threw 112 pitches, including 40 in the first inning.
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