SAN DIEGO (Interstat) — The Arizona Diamondbacks rode an early power display and a long start from Brandon Pfaadt to an 11-4 victory over the San Diego Padres on Friday night at Petco Park. Lars Nootbaar began the game by lining Casey Mize’s first pitch over the right-center field fence, and Arizona never trailed. The Diamondbacks scored three runs in the first, one in the second, two in the third and one in the fourth before tacking on three in the sixth and one in the seventh. San Diego scored twice in the second, once in the seventh and once in the eighth. The game drew 44,512 and took 2 hours, 46 minutes. Arizona improved to 86-74, while San Diego fell to 89-71.

Nootbaar’s leadoff homer set the tone. Ketel Marte grounded out before Gabriel Moreno singled, Geraldo Perdomo tripled him home and Corbin Carroll lifted a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Perdomo. Nolan Arenado was hit by a pitch, and Tim Tawa flew out to end the top of the first. San Diego got two runs back in the bottom of the second. Jackson Merrill singled, Xander Bogaerts singled to put runners at the corners, Luis Campusano grounded out to score Merrill, and Jake Cronenworth singled in Bogaerts. Samad Taylor then lined into a double play to end the inning. Arizona answered when Jordan Lawlar homered to right field in the second. In the third, Arenado crushed a two-run homer to left after Perdomo walked, pushing the lead to 6-2. Moreno added an RBI single in the fourth that scored Nootbaar.

Pfaadt settled in after the second. He worked around a Fernando Tatis Jr. double in the third by striking out Manny Machado and Ty France. The Padres could not keep Arizona off the board. In the sixth, Nootbaar, Marte and Moreno drew consecutive walks, and Perdomo cleared the bases with a sharp three-run double to center field. That gave Arizona a 10-2 cushion. Arizona added another run in the seventh when Lawlar grounded into a double play that allowed Arenado to score. San Diego picked up a run in the seventh on Cronenworth’s forceout that scored Sung-Mun Song. The Padres added their final run in the eighth when Song singled to center to drive in Dustin Harris. San Diego grounded into two double plays in the game. Arizona pitchers combined for 13 strikes, 60 balls and 13 balls in play, while San Diego pitchers combined for 11 strikes, 42 balls and 11 balls in play.

Pfaadt earned the win and moved to 8-3. He allowed four earned runs on nine hits over 7 2/3 innings, walking two and striking out seven. Ryne Nelson recorded one out while allowing one hit. Zac Gallen pitched a scoreless inning. Mize took the loss and dropped to 6-10. Wandy Peralta provided two scoreless innings of relief for San Diego with one strikeout. David Morgan threw a scoreless inning with one walk. Jason Adam allowed one earned run on no hits with two walks in an inning. Perdomo led Arizona with a 2-for-3 night and four RBIs. Arenado went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs. Nootbaar went 1-for-3 with a home run and one RBI. Lawlar went 1-for-4 with a home run and one RBI.

The win carried larger meaning for Arizona. Combined with Philadelphia’s 2-0 loss to Tampa Bay, the Diamondbacks moved within one game of the Phillies in the race for the final NL Wild Card spot. Arizona has won six consecutive games and owns the tiebreaker with Philadelphia. Any combination of Arizona wins and Philadelphia losses totaling two would put the Diamondbacks in the postseason and eliminate the Phillies. Arizona does not control its own fate. The Phillies have lost three straight. The Diamondbacks have scored in the first inning in each of their last several games, including Friday, when Nootbaar’s first-pitch homer gave them an immediate lead. The early offense allowed Pfaadt to pitch deep and gave Arizona’s bullpen a lighter workload. Corbin Burnes was placed on the injured list instead of making the start in the next game. The teams continue their series at Petco Park.

Arizona’s offense finished with eight hits and took advantage of eight walks and two hit batters. San Diego finished with 10 hits. Tatis had a double and a single, Harris had a hit and a run, Bogaerts had two hits, Merrill had a hit and a run, Cronenworth had a hit and two RBIs, Campusano had a hit and an RBI, and Song had two hits and an RBI. The Padres put together chances but stranded runners and hit into double plays at key moments. Arizona’s bullpen closed the door after Pfaadt’s exit. Nelson got the final out of the eighth, and Gallen worked a clean ninth. The Diamondbacks’ defense turned double plays of its own, including a first-inning twin killing started by Perdomo. The Padres’ double plays came in the first and fourth innings, with Machado and Campusano each grounding into one.

The Diamondbacks’ key contributors were spread throughout the lineup. Perdomo’s bases-clearing double was the decisive swing, turning a comfortable lead into a rout. Arenado’s two-run homer in the third was his 30th of the season. Nootbaar’s homer was his eighth. Lawlar’s homer was his sixth. Moreno reached base multiple times and scored. Tawa also had a single. Carroll drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Mize took the loss after Arizona scored seven runs over the first four innings. The Padres’ bullpen kept Arizona off the scoreboard after the seventh, but the damage was done. San Diego remains ahead of Arizona in the overall standings, but Arizona’s late surge has tightened the wild-card race.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Arizona Diamondbacks 5, San Diego Padres 10. Interstat’s ELO system had projected San Diego with a 57.7 percent probability to win. San Diego had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 15 went under the over/under line of 7.