Recap: San Diego vs. Arizona

San Diego, CA (Sports Network) - Chase Headley continued to carry the San Diego Padres on Friday.

Headley hit two home runs, including a go-ahead solo shot in the eighth inning, and the Padres defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks, 6-5, in the opener of a three-game series at Petco Park.

Over his last 18 games, Headley -- the NL Player of the Month for August -- has seven home runs and 25 RBI. The Padres are 13-5 over that span.

Headley added a three-run homer in the third inning while Yasmani Grandal hit a first-inning, two-run double in the victory -- San Diego's seventh in a row against Arizona.

In his first start since July 3, the Padres' Andrew Cashner gave up four hits -- including Ryan Wheeler's fifth-inning, two-run double -- over five innings. The righty, who missed time with a shoulder injury, struck out five and did not issue a walk.

Wheeler added a seventh-inning RBI double for the Diamondbacks, who took two of three from the San Francisco Giants in their previous series.

Rookie Tyler Skaggs lasted just three innings in the start for Arizona and was charged with five runs on five hits.

"I felt like I had good stuff today...felt like I threw the ball well," Skaggs said. "Just a couple mistake pitches...a couple balls that were blooped in and just wasn't my best today."

Miguel Montero hit a game-tying, two-run double in the eighth inning, but Headley led off the bottom half with a homer to left-center field off David Hernandez (2-3) for a 6-5 advantage.

"That is a guy who is a good pitcher with good stuff and Chase squared one up," said Padres manager Bud Black. "The last couple of months, he has been in a great spot confidence wise, swing wise."

Brad Brach (2-4) recorded the final out in the eighth to record the win and Luke Gregerson worked around a two-out single in the ninth to notch his fifth save of the season.