Anderson stays hot behind D-backs' 8-run first

PHOENIX -- Chase Anderson made history by becoming the first D-backs rookie to win his first three starts as the offense erupted for an eight-run first inning en route to a 12-6 win over the Padres in Wednesday night's rubber game.

The D-backs' offense has been inconsistent throughout the season. On Wednesday, it put up as many runs in a single inning as it had in all but one game in 2014.

After Anderson (3-0) tossed a scoreless first, the D-backs' offense went to work, sending 12 to the plate in an inning that lasted more than 30 minutes.

"You put the ball in play and good things can happen," manager Kirk Gibson said. "That inning was good, we scored eight runs. That kind of set the tone for us."

Paul Goldschmidt started the scoring with an RBI double and his seventh-inning home run, which was estimated to travel 470 feet, was merely the icing on the cake.

"I don't know how you can measure that one," Gibson said.

The first inning didn't start out with a blast. A.J. Pollock and Gerardo Parra each hit singles before Goldschmidt drove in Pollock with a double. Gibson lost a challenge on Parra's foul ball that landed near the left-field line. It didn't matter as Parra got a hit anyway.

Pollock and Parra both got second at-bats and second hits in the inning, becoming the first pair of D-backs to collect two hits in the same frame since Eric Byrnes and Shawn Green did it on July 8, 2006. Chris Owings also delivered an RBI single in the first as part of a four-hit night.

"Baseball is, at times, a very cruel game," Padres manager Bud Black said. "Pollock hit a bounding ball in the right spot. Parra hit a bounding ball in the right spot. Goldschmidt hit a blooper down the right-field line. We were behind the eight-ball right away."

The D-backs didn't lay off, either. After chasing Padres starter Tim Stauffer (2-1) with only one out in the first inning, they tacked on three against reliever Donn Roach.

Prado hit the game's first home run off of Roach in the second inning, extending the D-backs' lead to 10-0.

Three games into his Major League career, Anderson might be getting used to pitching with a cushion. In his last start, the offense scored 18 runs against the Dodgers. The offense is averaging nearly 12 runs of support through his first three games.

"That's a pitcher's dream right there," Anderson said. "Guys made plays behind me tonight, and the offense put those runs up. It definitely makes it a little easier out there to just relax and just pitch your game.

"I just try to stick to the game plan and try to pitch to contact early. Get ahead of guys and put them away early if you can ... Game plan doesn't really change."

Anderson gave up four runs (one earned) on eight hits with one walk and three strikeouts. He may have gone deeper into the game, but in the fifth inning, Jedd Gyorko hit a line drive off of Anderson's left calf. The right-hander finished the inning, but he was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the bottom half of the frame.

"It's fine. It's doing good," Anderson said. "I was able to finish that inning. I was trying to go back out for the sixth, but I think I was up to bat. I don't think you want me to go swing and put more pressure on it, but I'm fine."

Randall Delgado gave up a pair of runs in his 2 2/3 innings after relieving Anderson in the sixth before Joe Thatcher and Trevor Cahill closed it out with a combined 1 1/3 scoreless innings.