SAN DIEGO -- Shea Hillenbrand's three-run homer ended any notion that he was in a slump.

Hillenbrand's line shot just cleared the left-field fence with one out in the eighth inning, rallying the Boston Red Sox to a 4-2 win over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night in the first game between the teams.

Shea Hillenbrand's three-run blast rallies the Red Sox to a 4-2 victory.(AP)

Hillenbrand had been 0-for-3 against Brian Lawrence, dropping him to 2-for-15 in four games.

"I don't know if anybody can be in a slump hitting over .300 three months into the season," said Hillenbrand, who's hitting .305. "You're going to go through ups and downs, and I've been going through some downs right now, and I'm just trying to keep consistent."

Hillenbrand said he's been hitting the ball decently, but didn't have anything to show for it until homering on an 0-1 pitch from Lawrence (7-4).

Hillenbrand hit his team-leading 11th homer two pitches after cleanup batter Brian Daubach struck out for the fourth time. Trot Nixon and Nomar Garciaparra singled to open the inning.

"I feel ecstatic," Hillenbrand said. "I finally got a little break going my way. It's really incredible just to be able to help this team."

Lawrence said it was a decent pitch.

"I threw him a lot of sliders throughout the night. I believe he was looking for it," Lawrence said.

"He probably went to the well once too many times," manager Bruce Bochy said.

The Red Sox, who have the best record in the majors, won for just the fourth time in 10 games. Four Red Sox pitchers allowed just six hits to the Padres, who were coming off two straight wins over the AL West-leading Seattle Mariners.

Nixon and Jason Varitek each had three hits for the Red Sox.

Hillenbrand's homer gave Willie Banks (1-0) his first win since 1998 when he was with Arizona.

"I could hug and kiss Shea Hillenbrand right now," said Banks, who pitched mostly in Japan and in the minors the last three seasons. "My job is just to hold the other team, and the guys get two base knocks and a three-run shot. I'm about to cry."

Banks pitched one scoreless inning in relief of Rolando Arrojo, striking out one and walking one. Ugueth Urbina pitched the ninth for his 20th save in 21 opportunities.

Mark Kotsay gave the Padres a 2-1 lead in the fifth with a two-out RBI single.

In the fourth, Kotsay, the center fielder, threw out Varitek at home to keep the Red Sox from going ahead. Varitek singled with one out and advanced to third on Tony Clark's infield single and a throwing error on the play by first baseman Ryan Klesko. Lou Merloni flied out to Kotsay, who threw a one-hopper to Wiki Gonzalez to get Varitek.

Arrojo ran his scoreless innings streak to 18 until he hit a rough spot in the second. He walked two, threw a wild pitch and allowed an RBI single by San Diego's No. 8 hitter, Julius Matos.

Boston tied it on consecutive doubles by Johnny Damon and Nixon with two outs in the third.

Lawrence allowed four runs and 10 hits in 7 1/3 innings, struck out nine and walked one. Arrojo allowed two runs and four hits in six innings, struck out six and walked two.

Notes

• The Padres honored Red Sox OF Rickey Henderson before the game, with retired batting star Tony Gwynn and Jennifer Moores, daughter of Padres owner John Moores, presenting him with autographed balls from every living member of the 3,000-hit club and a base signed by all the Padres from last year. While with the Padres last season, Henderson broke Babe Ruth's career walks record, Ty Cobb's career runs record and got his 3,000th hit in his final at-bat of the season.
• Henderson stood in the Padres' dugout during the national anthem, next to Phil Nevin.
• Nevin had an MRI on his broken left arm on Monday and said it's healing as expected. He expects to be back for the Padres' first game after the All-Star break, July 12 against St. Louis, which would be six weeks and two days after he broke his upper left arm on May 29 while diving for a ball at third base.
• The Red Sox and Padres played two exhibitions in 1984.
• Ray Lankford also struck out four times.

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