Padres 4, Nationals 2: Ian Kennedy struck out a season-high nine in seven strong innings as visiting San Diego gained a four-game split with Washington.

Chris Denorfia had two RBIs and reached base four times on two hits and two walks for the Padres. Cameron Maybin had two hits and scored once in his season debut.

Kennedy (2-3) allowed just one run and three hits and didn’t walk anybody. Joaquin Benoit allowed Nate McLouth’s homer in the eighth and Huston Street pitched around Jayson Werth’s lead single in the ninth to record his ninth save.

Anthony Rendon and Werth delivered back-to-back doubles in the first and the Nationals didn’t get another hit until the seventh. Kennedy retired 16 consecutive batters at one point while allowing just one run for the third time in six starts this season.

Jedd Gyorko’s sacrifice fly in the fourth tied the score and the Padres went ahead in the fifth on Denorfia’s run-scoring single against Ross Detwiler (0-1), who allowed three runs and four hits in 1 1/3 innings of relief. San Diego loaded the bases in the sixth and pushed across two runs on back-to-back walks to Everth Cabrera and Denorfia.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Washington placed OF Bryce Harper (thumb) on the 15-day disabled list and recalled OF Steven Souza Jr. from Triple-A Syracuse. … Maybin missed the first 25 games due to a biceps injury suffered during spring training. … Nationals 2B Danny Espinosa was plunked in the knee by a Kennedy pitch in the second inning and later departed the contest.