Photo/Illutration San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish pauses during the first inning of the team’s baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels on Sept. 8, 2021, in San Diego. (AP Photo)

SAN DIEGO--Yu Darvish threw six strong innings to earn his first victory in 11 starts and Adam Frazier had two hits and three RBIs during the eight-run second inning that carried the San Diego Padres to an 8-5 win against the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday night.

The Padres took a one-game lead over Cincinnati for the NL’s second wild card. The Reds lost 4-1 at the Chicago Cubs.

Darvish’s strong outing came one night after the Padres wasted a third straight strong start by lefty Blake Snell. Snell lost his no-hit bid in the seventh and the Padres’ offense went silent in a 4-0 loss.

The Padres gave Darvish all the support he needed by taking an 8-0 lead in the second.

Darvish (8-9) held the Angels to one run and three hits in six innings, struck out seven and walked one. He hadn’t won since beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 at home on June 21.

Darvish rebounded nicely after getting knocked out of his last start after just 2 2/3 innings, when he allowed eight hits and six runs, five earned, in an 8-3 loss at Arizona.

Mark Melancon pitched the ninth for his 37th save, tops in the majors.

While Darvish cruised, the Angels went with a bullpen game and imploded in the second inning. The Padres scored eight runs on three hits and five walks against three pitchers. Seven of the runs scored with two outs.

Frazier hit an RBI double off starter Mike Mayers to open the scoring and finished it with a two-run single off Jake Petricka.

Petricka took over for Sam Selman with the bases loaded and proceeded to walk in three straight runs and throw a wild pitch that brought in another run.

Mayers (4-5) allowed two runs and three hits in 1 2/3 innings, struck out one and walked one.

The Angels’ Juan Lagares hit a two-run homer off Dinelson Lamet in the seventh, his fifth, and Jo Adell hit a two-run shot off Daniel Hudson in the eighth, his fourth.

UP NEXT

Angels: RHP Shohei Ohtani (9-1, 2.97 ERA) is scheduled to start Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at the Houston Astros, who will counter with LHP Framber Valdez (9-5, 3.08 ERA).

Padres: Haven’t named a starter for Friday night’s opener of a three-game series at the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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