Kepler homers and drives in 4 runs to lead Diamondbacks to an 8-0 win over Padres

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SAN DIEGO (AP) — Max Kepler homered and drove in four runs to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks to an 8-0 win over the slumping San Diego Padres on Monday night.

It was Kepler’s first home run since returning from an 80-game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. Kepler was activated by the Diamondbacks on June 25.

The Padres are in freefall, losing nine of their past 10 games and 28 of their last 43.

The teams came into the game with identical 44-45 records. The win moved the Diamondbacks into second place in the NL West, while the Padres dropped to third place.

Diamondbacks starter Brando Pfaadt (2-1) worked five innings, allowing four hits and striking out six.

San Diego starter Walker Buehler (5-5) — whose 18th start of the season is tied for the most on the Padres — got hit hard in his second consecutive loss. He gave up seven runs and seven hits in five innings. In his previous start on July 1 at Wrigley Field versus the Cubs, Buehler allowed nine runs in four innings.

Buehler is the first major league pitcher this season to give up 16 earned runs over two consecutive outings.

With the Diamondbacks leading 3-0 in the third inning, Kepler hit a three-run homer to right field. He drove in a run in his previous at-bat with a single in the first.

Arizona tacked on two more runs on solo homers. Geraldo Perdomo homered in the fourth off Buehler and Nolan Arenado in the sixth off Padres’ reliever Alek Jacob for an 8-0 Diamondbacks lead.

Ryan Thompson pitched two innings of scoreless relief for the Diamondbacks.

Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (3-8, 6.36) takes the mound in the second game of the four-game set on Tuesday night. The Padres have not announced their starter.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb