SAN DIEGO -- Odrisamer Despaigne doesn't have the overpowering stuff of some other pitchers imported from Cuba.
However, the 28-year-old San Diego Padres right-hander is crafty, throwing a lot of pitches from a lot of arm angles. And if you've never seen him before ...
"I like facing teams for the first time," Despaigne said. And he proved that again Sunday afternoon at Petco Park, holding the Miami Marlins to one run on two hits over six innings as the Padres scored a third straight win over the Marlins by scoring three runs.
The score was 3-2 Sunday afternoon. The Padres won the previous two nights by identical 3-1 scores to win the final three games of a four-game series and finish the homestand with a 6-3 record.
"It's difficult to waste good pitching like we did on this road trip," said Miami manager Dan Jennings, whose ballclub went 3-7 on its post-All-Star-break trip despite allowing three or fewer runs eight times.
Padres manager Pat Murphy, who believed Despaigne lacked focus in some recent starts, had no fears about that Sunday.
Pitching coach Darren Balsley told Murphy before the game that Despaigne would pitch well.
"I felt good," Despaigne said. "I had control of my curveball. This year, I've been good and bad. Today was good."
Sunday was the 17th time he faced a team for the first time. He has a 3.48 ERA in those games. Despaigne (4-7) halted a four-decision losing streak with his first win since May 31.
After Despaigne was done, the San Diego bullpen took over, just as it had in the previous two wins against the Marlins. Right-handed relievers Joaquin Benoit and Craig Kimbrel teamed in the eighth and ninth for a third straight game --allowing no runs on one hit with six strikeouts over a combined six innings. Kimbrel earned the save in all three games, recording his 29th of the season Sunday.
Padres left fielder Justin Upton hit his 16th homer, while right fielder Matt Kemp drove in the decisive run with a grounder to lift San Diego to its eighth win in 11 games.
The Padres scored two runs in the bottom off the second off Marlins right-hander Mat Latos, a former Padre.
Upton opened the second with his 16th homer of the season -- a 393-foot liner into the left field seats on a full-count fastball. The homer was Upton's second in six games, but only his fourth since May 24.
Thirteen of Upton's homers this season were hit at Petco Park.
First baseman Yonder Alonso followed Upton's homer by slicing an opposite-field single to left, and he raced to third on second baseman Jedd Gyorko's opposite-field single to right. Alonso scored on shortstop Alexi Amarista's opposite-field sacrifice fly to left.
Amarista was the first of 11 consecutive Padres retired by Latos (4-7) until center fielder Will Venable opened the sixth with an opposite-field double down the line in left. Venable advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by third baseman Yangervis Solarte, and a grounder to short by Kemp to extend the Padres' lead to 3-1.
Latos was finished after six innings, having allowed three runs on six hits with five strikeouts and no walks.
Despaigne walked two, hit a batter and struck out three Marlins in his 87-pitch outing. Murphy lifted Despaigne because he was approaching the hitters -- at the bottom of the Miami order -- who took the best swings against him.
Despaigne didn't allow a hit through the first four innings. The Marlins got on the board in the fifth when catcher J.T. Realmuto and shortstop Miguel Rojas opened the inning with back-to-back singles and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Latos. Realmuto scored on a sacrifice fly by right fielder Ichiro Suzuki, pulling Miami within 2-1.
Realmuto again cut the Padres' lead to a run when he hit a solo homer off Padres reliever Brandon Maurer with one out in the seventh.
NOTES: Marlins SS Miguel Rojas left the game midway through the seventh inning with a right shoulder strain. Rojas was injured making an awkward, diving stop of the Matt Kemp RBI grounder in the sixth. ... Padres OF/1B Wil Myers sustained what is hoped to be a temporary setback in his rehab from June 18 surgery to remove a bone spur from his left wrist. Myers swung a light bat for the first time Saturday and reported soreness in the wrist afterward. He will fly to Arizona on Monday to be examined by Dr. Don Sheridan, the doctor who performed the surgery. ... Padres RHP Brandon Morrow felt fine after his 40-pitch rehab appearance for Triple-A El Paso on Saturday night. He is scheduled to throw four innings or 60 pitches Thursday.
