JAY PARIS
Associated Press
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Eric Stults strong month came to a halt against the Brewers.
The Padres’ pitcher had won three straight before struggling with his command in a 10-1 loss to Milwaukee on Monday night.
Stults (6-14) was charged with four runs and nine hits in losing for the first time since July 29 at Atlanta.
“I fell behind in a lot of counts and left a lot of balls up, mid-thigh area, and you can’t live there,” Stults said. “They’re a pretty good ball club as far as their offense and they can do some damage.”
The Brewers broke the game open after Stults was gone with a three-run sixth inning. But Stults gave up home runs to Ryan Braun and Aramis Ramirez, the second one coming in his last inning of work.
Stults had pitched 13 1-3 straight scoreless innings at Petco Park before the Brewers scored in the opening inning.
Kyle Lohse (12-7) pitched six strong innings as the Brewers won for the 10th time in 11 road games against NL West opponents. He allowed a run and four hits over six innings in making his first start since spraining his right ankle on Aug. 13. He beat the Padres for the fourth straight time.
Ramriez and Gerardo Parra had three RBIs; Braun, Ramirez and Carlos Gomez each had three hits.
“Not quite as sharp as we have seen him,” Padres manager Bud Black said about Stults. “They made him pay for his mistakes. On balls out over the plate, they didn’t miss them.”
Lohse skipped his last turn in the rotation after getting hurt against the Cubs. But he was efficient in striking out five as the Brewers stayed 1 1/2 games ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central.
Ramirez’s 14th home run came in the fifth inning off an 87 mph Stults fastball that extended Milwaukee’s edge to 4-1.
The Brewers broke the game open with a three-run sixth en route to their fifth straight road win.
Braun’s 17th home run in the third inning gave the Brewers a 2-1 lead, when he hit it into the left-center seats. Martin Maldonado added a run-scoring single for a 3-1 advantage.
The Padres lost eight of their last 11 games.
“Tonight was one of those nights where it didn’t come together,” Stults said.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: OF Carlos Quentin isn’t going to play again the season, according to manager Bud Black. Quentin was limited to 50 games because of sore knees, with his most recent DL stint starting on July 27. … 2B Jedd Gyorko, who strained his left hamstring on Thursday, returned to action by grounding out as a pinch-hitter. … SS Everth Cabrera (strained left hamstring) has resumed baseball activities but is probably out another week.
Brewers: RHP Matt Garza, on the disabled list with a strained left oblique, will have another bullpen session on Tuesday. If it goes well, he could rejoin the rotation.
UP NEXT
Brewers: RHP Jimmy Nelson (2-4, 4.15 ERA), who absorbed the loss in his last start against the Blue Jays on Wednesday, will be looking to rebound against the Padres.
Padres: RHP Tyson Ross (11-12, 2.68) has worked at least six innings in 21 of his last 25 starts, including seven or more in 13 of those outings. His 12 straight quality starts is a franchise record.
FIRST THINGS FIRST: The Brewers have had a least a share of first place in the NL Central every day since April 5, a span of 143 days. Milwaukee last won a division title in 2011.
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