Padres starter limits D-Backs' bats

For 5 2/3 innings, Cha Seung Baek was unhittable.

And for one brief moment, he felt like a hitter.

The Padres right-hander had allowed only a walk before a double by Stephen Drew, but it was his own double in the third inning - the first hit of his major-league career - that he'll remember after Friday night's 5-1 victory over the Diamondbacks.

Asked about the hit off Diamondbacks starter Dan Haren that raised his batting average to .111, he grinned and said, "It was a double. I was looking for a pitch to hit."

Baek (2-3) had appeared in 10 games, with only one start, for the Seattle Mariners this season before joining the Padres in late May in exchange for pitcher Jared Wells.

He went six innings, allowing only two hits, struck out seven, tying a career high, and walked one and lowered his ERA to 4.93. It was his first career start against Arizona.

"I thought Cha Seung did a great job with changing speeds, utilizing his secondary pitches in fastball counts, when he was behind in the count, and also when he needed to pump up the velocity," said Padres manager Bud Black. "I saw some 92, 93 mph fastballs, so I thought he did a great job of changing speed, a good job of pitching away when he needed to and threw enough balls inside to keep them honest.

"It was a well-pitched game, and he and Nick (catcher Hundley) did a great job working together."

Black said the pregame pitcher-catcher huddle with pitching coach Darren Balsley played a role.

"Nick basically knew the foundation of Cha Seung's best stuff and stayed with that and used the hook and change(-up) in there also, depending on the hitter," Black said. "A lot of it early in a relationship like that is all feel, and it's about pitch execution, and Cha Seung did a great job at a that."

Baek, who was born in Pusan, South Korea, gave a lot of credit to Hundley.

"Nick was like a veteran, great, and I felt comfortable," he said. "I like him a lot. The last couple of games I didn't go inside, and today I threw more inside pitches and felt more comfortable."

After Drew doubled to right-center, Justin Upton laced a single to left, and a perfect throw from Chase Headley to Hundley nipped Drew at the plate. That turn of events kept the Padres ahead 2-0.

"I didn't want to give up a walk, just pitch, not walk guys," Baek said.