Diamondbacks 9, Padres 5 - MLB

PHOENIX -- Mark Grace has been around long enough to know that players have to be ready on short notice. He certainly was on Sunday.

Informed 15 minutes in advance that he would be starting at first base against San Diego, Grace hit a two-run homer and scored twice as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Padres 9-5.

"You don't want to have to do it that way every time," Grace said. "You want to be able to be prepared and have the mind-set that you're going to play. But I got on base four times. I did a pretty good job at the plate today - a home run, a base hit, a couple of walks - and that's what everybody has to do."

Grace homered off Jaret Wright to make it 9-5 in the sixth inning.

David Dellucci also drove in two runs for the Diamondbacks, who sent San Diego to its 10th loss in 11 games, and Elmer Dessens became the first Arizona starter with four wins.

Dessens (4-4) allowed five runs on nine hits in 5 2-3 innings. He struck out six and got plenty of run support from a struggling Arizona lineup.

The right-hander also hit two batters with pitches, breaking the right wrist of Padres rookie Jason Bay.

"A win is a win," Dessens said. "I'm happy for the team. They made some runs, and the bullpen did a pretty good job."

Eddie Oropesa and Mike Koplove got four outs each, and Mike Myers finished up.

San Diego reliever Charles Nagy (0-2) squandered a 4-3 lead by giving up four runs on six hits and a walk in two innings.

Padres left-hander Randy Keisler has gone three innings in each of his two starts this season, and came out of the game with a 12.00 ERA. Nagy also followed Keisler's first start at Milwaukee, pitching three scoreless innings last Monday.

"It backfired, no question about it," Padres manager Bruce Bochy said about pulling Keisler after he gave up one hit, three walks and three runs in three innings. "We had a fresh guy, Charlie, down there. If I'd known Charlie was going to scuffle, I wouldn't have done it."

Padres rookie Miguel Ojeda drove in three runs, Ryan Klesko hit a sacrifice fly and Dave Hansen had an RBI single.

Arizona scored three times in the first inning after Keisler walked the first two batters.

Carlos Baerga hit an RBI double, Danny Bautista had a run-scoring grounder and was safe when shortstop Ramon Vazquez threw low and wide to first for an error, and Dellucci added a sacrifice fly.

"I started off slow again," Keisler said. "No command of my fastball. I squeaked through it - it could have been a whole lot worse. After that I settled down."

The Padres got a run back in the second when Rondell White singled, moved around on a groundout and a wild pitch and came home on grounder by Ojeda.

San Diego loaded the bases in the fourth when Dessens hit White with a pitch and gave up infield singles to Xavier Nady and Gary Matthews Jr., who entered after Bay was hurt in the second.

Ojeda followed with a two-run single, and pinch-hitter Klesko delivered a sacrifice fly to give the Padres a 4-3 lead.

But the momentum swung Arizona's way in the bottom half.

Dellucci tied it with an RBI double and scored on Rod Barajas' single. Alex Cintron made it 6-4 with a run-scoring double, and the Diamondbacks never trailed again.

Each team scored in the fifth - San Diego on Hansen's RBI double, and Arizona on a single by Quinton McCracken.

"It works for me," Arizona manager Bob Brenly said. "It was good to see today - a lot of productive at-bats in the ballgame and some key hits."

Notes: Arizona aces Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson, who is injured, have combined for four wins. ... Arizona's Luis Gonzalez grounded into a double play as a pinch-hitter in the seventh and is in a 2-for-24 slump. ... Baerga was slated to start at first base, but moved to second after Junior Spivey complained of a sore neck. That made room for Grace to start. ... Bay will remain with the Padres through Monday night, when the four-game series concludes. He's due to return to San Diego for further evaluation. ... Left-handed batters are 1-for-22 against Myers since April 19.

Arizona vs. San Diego