Peavy, Giles Lead Padres’ 12-4 Victory

PHOENIX â€”  Jake Peavy won his third straight decision, Brian Giles drove in three runs and the San Diego Padres maintained a one-game lead over the Dodgers in the National League West with a 12-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday.

Peavy (11-14) gave up two runs and five hits in six innings, struck out seven and walked four.

Giles homered and doubled, and Russell Branyan and Rob Bowen also homered for the Padres, who improved to 18-8 in September with their seventh win in eight games.

Knowing they needed a victory to keep sole possession of first, the Padres quickly got to Miguel Batista (11-8), who gave up seven runs and eight hits in 3 2/3 innings, his shortest outing of the season. It may also have been Batista’s final start for the Diamondbacks, who have not said whether they will try to re-sign the 35-year-old right-hander.

San Diego took a 4-0 lead in the second when Batista walked Geoff Blum with the bases loaded, Josh Barfield hit into a run-scoring forceout and Dave Roberts had a two-run single. Mike Cameron added an RBI single in the third, and Giles hit a two-run homer in the fourth.

After Arizona closed to 7-2 in the fourth, Branyan homered off Greg Aquino leading off the fifth -- his sixth homer in 22 games since San Diego acquired him from Tampa Bay on Aug. 24.