SAN DIEGO (AP) – Martín Pérez beat his old team in his first victory since San Diego acquired him at the trade deadline, and the Padres defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-2 on Wednesday for their 19th win in 22 games.
Jake Cronenworth and David Peralta homered for the Padres, who swept six games from the Pirates this season. San Diego (69-53) improved to a season-high 16 games over .500, sweeping the three-game series and winning eight series in a row for the first time since 2007.
Pittsburgh has lost 10 consecutive games for the first time since June 13-22 last year. The Pirates are 1-12 since July 31, the day after the trade deadline.
Pérez (3-5) didn´t get a decision in his first two starts after San Diego obtained him on July 31 for Ronaldys Jimenez, an 18-year-old left-hander in his first professional season.
“He´s been huge,´´ Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “He´s just a real veteran guy with moxie and he has the stuff to match it.”
Pérez allowed one run and five hits in 5 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts and a walk.
“I´m pitching different and using different sequences,´´ he said. “I used to work too much with my fastball and everybody is ready for that. But I´m trying to slow things down and then go back to the (fastball). I think that´s working and I´m going to continue doing that.”
Mitch Keller (10-7) gave up a season-high eight runs and eight hits in five innings. He is 0-2 in six starts since beating the New York Mets on July 8.
Cronenworth followed singles by Luis Arraez and Jurickson Profar with a home run to right of a Keller sweeper, his 15th home run this season and first since July 20.
“I feel good,´´ Cronenworth said. “I didn´t have the greatest month last month but I feel like I was still finding a way to get on base.´´
Peralta homered on his 37th birthday, a two-run drive in the third for an 8-0 lead. Signed to a minor league contract in May, Peralta increased his season home run total to six by homering on consecutive days.
“He just continues to take good at-bats,´´ Shildt said. “He´s a positive presence on the field and in the clubhouse.”
Rookie Jackson Merrill hit a two-run triple in the third.
Pittsburgh´s Joey Bart homered in the sixth.
