PHOENIX – Kyle Higashioka, Brandon Lockridge and Donovan Solano hit a home run in the ninth inning to give the San Diego Padres a 5-0 victory over the sliding Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night as they continued to lose ground in the National League playoff race.

The Diamondbacks (88-73) have lost five of six games in the hunt for an NL wild card. They currently trail the Braves (88-71) and Mets (87-72), who occupy the final two playoff spots.

“It was just one of those nights,” Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker said. “You did well. You have to tip yourself, even if it’s frustrating to say. There are two sides. Someone else will do their job when they get you out.”

“We had a few chances but couldn’t convert them when it mattered most.”

The game remained goalless until the ninth minute of the game. With one out, San Diego’s David Peralta singled up the middle, and then Higashioka blasted a two-run home run deep into the left field stands.

“I was just looking for something in the middle and the slider kind of caught his eye,” Higashioka said. “I recognized it early on and luckily this one went over the fence.”

Lockridge followed with his first big league home run, also hit to the left side.

It was a stunning success for Diamondbacks left-hander AJ Puk (4-9), who has been the team’s most dominant reliever since being acquired from the Miami Marlins at the trade deadline. He had given up just one run over 27 innings in his 29 games since arriving in Arizona.

“They both hit sliders,” Puk said. “It’s one of those things. They swing the ball well, they are good batsmen. It wasn’t my day today.”

Solano added a two-run home run, his fourth hit of the night, then later in the ninth he hit Scott McGough for a 5-0 lead.

“This game can be great and rip your heart out,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said.

Arizona has the highest-scoring offense in the major leagues this season, but finished the game with just two hits. San Diego right-hander Randy Vásquez pitched a no-hitter in the sixth inning before Corbin Carroll belted a double to right field.

The 25-year-old Vásquez — who had just been recalled from Triple-A El Paso — made his first start in the major leagues since Aug. 31. He finished the game with six scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and one walk for four.

The Padres rested several starters for Saturday’s game after clinching the fourth seed in the NL playoff round on Friday. San Diego will host a best-of-three wild card series starting Tuesday.

“No matter who we put out there, they’re going to compete and play to win the game,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “It started with Vásquez, he was fantastic.”

San Diego’s Luis Arraez (.314) had the day off as he tries to stop Shohei Ohtani and Marcell Ozuna in the battle for the NL batting title. If he wins, it would be his third batting crown in three years for three different teams, something unprecedented in the post-1900 era.

Diamondbacks left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings, giving up four hits and two walks while recording three strikeouts.

Wandy Peralta of San Diego (3-2) secured the victory with a scoreless eighth.

TRAINER ROOM

Shildt told reporters that INF Ha-Seong Kim will not return this season due to a shoulder injury. He hit .233 with 11 home runs and 22 stolen bases in 122 games.

NEXT

The teams conclude the regular season on Sunday. The Padres will start LHP Martín Pérez (5-5, 4.25 ERA), while the Diamondbacks have not announced a starter.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb