SAN DIEGO -- Through his first 21 starts this season, Diamondbacks left-hander Robbie Ray was 5-11 with a 4.83 earned run average.

But over his last three starts, the 6-foot-2, 24-year-old is 2-0 and has allowed three runs (two earned) on 12 hits with 22 strikeouts in 19 innings.

"I'm just getting more confident," Ray said Saturday night after allowing one run on one hit -- a 451-foot homer by Patrick Kivlehan in the outfielder's major league debut -- while striking out a career-high 13 over seven innings to lead the Diamondbacks to a 2-1 victory over the Padres in an unusual pitching duel at Petco Park.

Ray and Padres left-handed starter Clayton Richard each took a no-hitter into the fifth. But while Ray was making only one bad pitch Richard made wild throws on potential double-play comebackers in the both the fifth and sixth innings leading to the two unearned runs that beat him.

"My pitching felt great," said Richard, who allowed two unearned runs on six hits and three walks with five strikeouts over six innings to fall to 0-3 and 0-2 with the Padres.

"But not fielding my position cost us," Richard continued. "It definitely stinks. Those two throws killed us. Things like that can't happen."

But as dominant as Ray was, it was a three-batter sequence by right-handed reliever Daniel Hudson that allowed Arizona to avoid a third straight loss to the Padres and move back to within a game of fourth place in the National League West.

Hudson worked out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the bottom of the eighth.

Kivlehan opened the eighth with a single off right-handed Arizona reliever Jake Barrett and moved to third when pinch-hitter Adam Rosales greeted left-handed Diamondbacks reliever Steve Hathaway with a double into the left-field corner. Hudson entered the game after Hathaway walked Travis Jankowski to load the bases.

The Padres didn't get the ball out of the infield against Hudson. He retired Alexei Ramirez on a popout to third with his first pitch, retired Wil Myers on a soft, broken-bat liner to second then got Yangervis Solarte on a pop to first to end the inning.

"Hudson was superlative," said Arizona manager Chip Hale, who sent right-hander Enrique Burgos out in the ninth to pick up his first save of the season by striking out Kivlehan for the final out.

"Ray was just outstanding tonight," said Hale of his starter's 105-pitch effort. "He left one pitch out over the plate on an 0-and-2 count."

Arizona catcher Welington Castillo opened the fifth inning with a single to left off Richard for the game's first hit.

Richard then made the first of his two costly throwing errors. Mitch Haniger hit a topper back to the mound that Richard fielded for what appeared to be a possible double play. But his throw to second was well to the first-base side of the bag and sailed into center. Richard, who has had fielding problems throughout his career, allowed Castillo to reach third on the error and the catcher scored when Brandon Drury followed by hitting into a second-to-short-to-first double play.

The Padres got even with one swing by Kivlehan in the bottom of the fifth.

Kivlehan, who was promoted from Triple-A El Paso earlier in the day, celebrated his major league debut with one of the longest home runs in the 13-season history of Petco Park.

The Padres left fielder drove a 0-and-2 pitch from Ray 451 feet into the second deck in left at Petco Park. The homer was only seven feet shy of the official longest homer in Petco Park history. Kivlehan became the fifth Padre to ever homer in his major league debut and the first since Tommy Medica on Sept. 11, 2013.

But the Diamondbacks turned a second throwing error to second by Richard in the top of the sixth into a 2-1 lead.

Phil Gosselin singled with one out and moved to second on a wild pitch before Paul Goldschmidt drew a walk.

Rickie Weeks Jr. then hit a comeback to Richard -- again with the potential for a double play. But Richard again threw wild to the first-base side of the bag with Gosselin scoring from second to break the tie. As also happened in the fifth, the next Arizona hitter did ground into a double play.

"Hitting that homer in my first game is something to remember," said Kivlehan. "I just wish the ending was better."

"Despite the outcome, that was really special for Kivlehan," said Padres manager Andy Green, who allowed the right-handed Kivlehan to face the right-handed Burgos with one on and two down in the ninth although the left-handed-hitting Alex Dickerson was available to pinch-hit.

"I was going to give Patrick Kivlehan the chance to write his own story," explained Green.

NOTES: The Diamondbacks announced Saturday that SS Nick Ahmed will have surgery to remove an impingement in his right hip, ending his 2016 season. ... The Padres optioned LHP Ryan Buchter and SS Nick Noonan to Triple-A El Paso. They recalled LHP Keith Hessler from the Chihuahuas and also purchased INF-OF Patrick Kivlehan from El Paso. Buchter was optioned as a way to give him a rest break before September. Kivlehan, who the Padres acquired on waivers from Seattle on Aug. 4, made his major league debut Saturday night. He is the Padres fourth position player to make his major league debut this season.