Matt Szczur doubled home Manuel Margot to break a seventh-inning tie, giving the host San Diego Padres a 2-1 victory over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday at Petco Park.

The loss prevented the Nationals from sweeping the three-game series.

Margot singled for his third hit of the game opening the seventh against Nationals reliever Trevor Gott (0-2). Margot immediately stole second and moved to third when catcher Matt Wieters' throw bounced into center field.

After Margot was forced to hold at third on pinch hitter Chase Headley's short fly to center, Szczur, who was hitting in the leadoff spot for the first time this season, lined an RBI double to left-center.

Craig Stammen (1-0) got the win after throwing two scoreless innings in relief, and Brad Hand picked up his 10th save.

Left-handed starting pitchers Gio Gonzalez of the Nationals and rookie Joey Lucchesi of the Padres departed with the game tied 1-1.

Anthony Rendon gave the Nationals a 1-0 lead when he led off the fourth with his second homer of the season, a 421-drive to center.

The Padres tied the game in the bottom of the fourth on back-to-back, one-out doubles by A.J. Ellis and Margot.

Lucchesi departed after the first two Nationals in the sixth reached base. He allowed one run on six hits and one walk with six strikeouts. Craig Stammen inherited the two runners in the sixth and immediately got Rendon to ground into a double play before getting Howie Kendrick to fly out to right with the go-ahead run on third.

Gonzalez allowed the one run on five hits and three walks with eight strikeouts in six innings. He pitched his way out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the second by striking out Szczur and retiring Eric Hosmer on a comebacker.

Rendon and Ryan Zimmerman each had two of the Nationals' eight hits. Ellis collected two of the Padres' eight hits.

--Field Level Media