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Milwaukee Brewers keep pace in NL Central division with 5-1 victory over San Diego Padres

The Brewers’ Travis Shaw is congratulated after hitting a home run during the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres on Monday in Milwaukee. (AP photo)

MILWAUKEE — Corey Spangenberg helped the Milwaukee Brewers keep pace in their playoff push and ensured another losing season for his old team.

Spangenberg drove in three runs, including a tiebreaking, two-run triple in the fourth inning, and the Brewers beat the San Diego Padres 5-1 Monday night.

Milwaukee won for the 10th time in 11 games, remaining one game behind the Chicago Cubs for the NL’s second wild card and three games back of St. Louis, the NL Central leader.

Spangenberg, selected 10th overall by San Diego in the 2011 amateur draft, was released by the Padres after the 2018 season. He signed with Milwaukee in Janaury, spent most of the season in the minor leagues and made his first appearance for the Brewers on Aug. 24.

“Playing in the playoffs is all the motivation I need,” Spangenberg said. “This is the first time that I’ve ever had a chance, so I want to do everything I can to get there and be able to experience that.”

The Brewers' Orlando Arcia signals "22" for teammate Christian Yelich's uniform number after Arcia hit an RBI double during the sixth inning against the San Diego Padres on Monday in Milwaukee. (AP photo)

Spangenberg, now 28, got his chance after rookie second baseman Keston Hiura strained his left hamstring.

San Diego got just two hits and dropped to 68-82, tying the franchise record with its ninth consecutive losing season.

Spangenberg had an RBI single in the second and followed Eric Hosmer’s tying double in the fourth with a triple in the bottom half for a 3-1 lead.

Travis Shaw stopped an 0-for-20 slide with a pinch-hit home run leading off the fifth against Ronald Bolanos, and Orlando Arcia doubled in a run in the sixth.

Zach Davies (10-7) allowed two hits in five innings, Freddy Peralta struck out four over two innings, Alex Claudio pitched a perfect eighth and Jay Jackson struck out the side in the ninth.

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