MILWAUKEE -- Wes Obermueller had been waiting over two weeks to return to the mound. The wait for his first extra-base hit was even longer.
Obermueller, pitching for the first time since May 12, hit a three-run double Saturday night to lead the Milwaukee Brewers over the San Diego Padres 4-3.
Obermueller was just 3-for-12 at the plate this season when he doubled off Dennis Tankersley (0-1) with two outs in the second. It was his first extra-base hit in 35 career at-bats.
"I was so anxious, if he threw it away, I might have swung over it," Obermueller said.
He became the first Brewers' pitcher to drive in at least three runs since Ruben Quevedo drove in three at Pittsburgh on July 2, 2002. He also stopped an 0-for-43 skid by Milwaukee's starting pitchers.
On the mound, Obermueller (3-1) struck out a career-high six in six innings, allowing one run and six hits to win his third straight decision. He hadn't pitched in more than two weeks because the Brewers didn't need a fifth starter.
"It's hard to do," Milwaukee manager Ned Yost said. "A lot of it is mental. He didn't let it affect him, but it's a tough spot."
Dan Kolb pitched the ninth for his 13th save in 13 chances as Milwaukee won despite being outhit 11-4.
Tankersley, in his first start since April 8, 2003, struck out a career-high nine in six innings, allowing three runs -- none earned -- and three hits.
"Tankersley was painting backdoor sliders, throwing the fastball in, and throwing them away," Yost said.
With one out in the second, Lyle Overbay and Junior Spivey hit back-to-back singles and Keith Ginter followed with a grounder to second that could have been an inning-ending double play. But Mark Loretta flipped the ball past shortstop Khalil Greene for an error, loading the bases.
Gary Bennett flied out to center, and Obermueller lined a double just over the outstretched glove of third baseman Sean Burroughs.
"As long as I threw the pitch on the outer third, I thought I would get him out," Tankersley said. "It just curved over the plate."
Phil Nevin's single scored Brian Giles in the fourth, and Burroughs hit a run-scoring single off Matt Kinney as San Diego closed to 3-2.
But Keith Ginter doubled off Jay Witasick in the seventh, took third on a groundout by Gary Bennett and scored on a wild pitch.
In the eighth, Brian Giles was thrown out at the plate by shortstop Craig Counsell when he tried to score from second on Nevin's infield single. Terrence Long's double to center scored Nevin, but Long was thrown out at third base by Counsell, who took the relay from Scott Podsednik.
"We were on the aggressive side there," San Diego manager Bruce Bochy said. "It kind of took us out of the inning."
Notes
Burroughs extended his season-high hitting streak to 10 straight games with a single in the first. ... Milwaukee had scored three runs or fewer in its previous seven games. ... Grieve had inning-ending strikeouts in his first three at-bats. ... San Diego is 6-2 on Saturdays. ... The Padres conclude their season-long, 12-game trip Sunday.
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