Arizona Diamondbacks rally, fall short against San Diego Padres

Chase Headley smacked a pair of home runs, including a go-ahead shot off Diamondbacks reliever David Hernandez in the eighth inning, to lift the Padres to their 13th win in their past 17 games.

It was Headley’s fourth career multi-homer game — all of them coming this season — and gave him 25 homers on the season. He raised his RBI total to 98, which ranks second in the National League behind Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun.

The Diamondbacks trailed 5-0 after three innings but rallied to tie the game. Ryan Wheeler drove in three runs with a pair of doubles, bringing the Diamondbacks within 5-3, and Miguel Montero’s two-run double off reliever Tom Layne tied it in the eighth.

But in the eighth, Hernandez fell behind 3-1 and threw a fastball to Headley, who sent it out to dead center to put the Padres ahead.

Skaggs shelled: Things didn’t go well for Skaggs from the beginning, when Chris Denorfia dropped a single into shallow right-center field, a ball that center fielder Adam Eaton nearly caught on a dive.

Logan Forsythe followed with a single through the middle and, after Headley struck out, Yasmani Grandal pulled a Skaggs fastball down the third-base line and into the left-field corner for a two-run double.

Skaggs ran into more trouble in the third, which began with Denorfia (walk) and Forsythe (single) again reaching base. But this time, it was Headley who did the damage, demolishing a 90 mph fastball from Skaggs and sending it into the bleachers in left field.

That gave the Padres a 5-0 lead. Skaggs didn’t return to the mound for the fourth inning, replaced instead by reliever Brad Bergesen.

Denorfia, again: Earlier in the week, the Padres gave Denorfia a two-year, $4.25million contract extension. He’d be worth far, far more if he got to face the Diamondbacks more often. Denorfia entered the day with a .369 average in 84 plate appearances against the Diamondbacks and proceeded to go 2 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored.

Goldschmidt scratched: First baseman Paul Goldschmidt was a late scratch from the Diamondbacks lineup due to sickness, the team announced. Goldschmidt was replaced in the lineup by Chris Johnson at third, with Ryan Wheeler shifting to first base.

View from the press box: Incredibly, Headley is somehow second in the National League in RBIs despite playing half his games in Petco and being surrounded by a pretty mediocre lineup. Headley always has been a solid hitter, but is he turning into one of the better hitters in baseball? His second half has been incredible, and it might be time to start talking about him with the best third basemen in the majors.