SAN DIEGO -- Cincinnati Reds right-hander Homer Bailey victoriously completed the long road back Sunday afternoon at Petco Park.

Fifteen months since his last start - and nearly two years since his last win - Bailey allowed the San Diego Padres two runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings to pick up the victory as the Reds posted a 3-2 triumph in the rubber match of a three-game series.

"The most gratifying thing was walking out there today and seeing some very familiar faces ... all the guys," said Bailey, who had made only two starts and returned from two major rounds of elbow surgery since his most recent win on Aug. 7, 2014.

"It was great being out there with your teammates. I've been watching them for about a year and a half and wanting to be out there. And to see those guys, well, they have always had my back."

Bailey had surgery Sept. 15, 2014, to repair the torn flexor tendon in his right forearm. After two starts in April of 2015, he was shut down again and had "Tommy John" surgery to replace the UCL ligament in the elbow on May 8, 2015.

He started his post-Tommy John rehab last April, but was again shut down after two outings. His most recent return started June 27 with the first of six starts for Triple-A Louisville. Bailey was activated by the Reds from the 60-day disabled list Friday after Cincinnati arrived in San Diego.

"He was really crisp," Reds manager Bryan Price said of Bailey. "They got to him a little in the first inning, but the next four innings he was really locked in, making quality pitches with his fastball and slider.

"Homer worked really well today. I couldn't be happier after his first start."

Offensively, Bailey got all the support he needed on a two-run homer by Jose Peraza in the second inning and an infield RBI single by Tucker Barnhart that caromed off the foot of Padres reliever Jose Dominguez in the sixth.

The win gave the Reds a fifth straight series win and a 10-5 record since the All-Star break. "It feels good to win five straight series and it doesn't matter where you are in the standings," Price said.

"Early on, it took me a few innings to get my rhythm," Bailey said. "Then I was pretty sharp through the fifth."

Bailey left the game after issuing three straight walks in the sixth with the Reds bullpen working out of two jams -- including a bases-loaded one-out situation in the eighth when right-handed reliever Michael Lorenzen struck out rookie outfielder Jabari Blash then retired Christian Bethancourt on a liner to left.

Tony Cingrani picked up his 13th save. Starter Paul Clemens (1-2), who was forced out of the game after 4 1/3 innings due to lower back stiffness, suffered the loss for the Padres.

The Padres got to Bailey for a run in the first thanks to the legs of center fielder Travis Jankowski.

Jankowski opened the game with a single to left. Jankowski was running when Alexi Amarista grounded a ball to short. Peraza followed a lead-off single by Eugenio Suarez with his first major-league homer off Clemens. But it was no ordinary homer. Peraza's 424-foot drive landed on the second balcony of the Western Metal Supply Co. building in left.

"I couldn't believe it was Peraza hitting the ball to left field like that," Price said.

Clemens, who was moved into the Padres rotation Friday after starting pitchers Andrew Cashner and Colin Rea were traded to the Miami Marlins, allowed two runs on four hits and three walks with six strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.

"I'll be ready for my next start," Clemens said. "I could feel it when I was trying to get the ball down and away to right-handed hitters. I could have pitched longer and gotten through the sixth.

The Reds widened their lead to 3-1 in the top of the sixth.

Joey Votto opened the inning with a single to extend his hitting streak to 15 straight games and Adam Duvall followed with a second straight single off left-handed reliever Buddy Baumann, who was replaced by Dominguez.

Brandon Phillips followed with a third straight single to load the bases. Padres third baseman Adam Rosales turned a Suarez grounder into a force at home, with the Reds needed a successful appeal of the ensuing play at first to avoid a double play. After Peraza popped out, Barnhart hit the come-backer that caromed off Dominguez's foot toward third for an infield single that scored Duvall.

When Jankowski grounded out to open the bottom of the sixth, Bailey had retired 14 straight Padres, including six via strikeouts.

But Amarista followed with a single to center and Myers followed by drawing the first of three straight walks issued by Bailey.

With Ryan Schimpf at the plate, Amarista and Myers moved to third and second, respectively, on a double steal.

Bailey's wildness temporarily worked in the pitcher's favor. Amarista tried to score from third on a pitch that bounced away from Reds catcher Barnhart, who recovered in time to throw back to Bailey for the tag out of Amarista at the plate.

"I liked the gamble," Padres manager Andy Green said. "We have to be aggressive on the basepaths."

Aggressive baserunning resulted in the Padres' second run moments later as Bailey was walking the last three Padres he faced.

After throwing ball four to Jabari Blash, Bailey took the return toss from Barnhart and turned away from the plate without time being called. Myers raced home without a throw for the Padres second steal of home this season, which cut the Reds lead to 3-2.

"I was lucky enough to get good timing," Myers said. "I noticed Bailey turned his back on the plate a lot. The Reds bench had just moved the third baseman back. So I took off."

"It was heads-up running on Myers' part and a lapse on my part," Bailey said. "I knew it was my last hitter. I turned my back for a second and he caught everyone off guard."

Right-hander Blake Wood replaced Bailey and struck out Bethancourt to end the threat.

The Padres loaded the bases with one out in the eighth. But right-handed reliever Lorenzen struck out Blash, who was called up Sunday morning to replace the traded-away Matt Kemp in right, then retired Christian Bethancourt on a deep liner to left. Jankowski then stole third and scored on Wil Myers' ground out to Cozart.

NOTES: Green said LF Alex Dickerson is not a candidate for the disabled list, although he will miss at least a couple more games due to the bruised right hip he suffered Friday night in an outfield collision with CF Travis Jankowski. ... OF Jay Bruce didn't start for the Reds on Sunday amid speculation he was about to be traded. ... Padres RHP Erik Johnson, who has been on the disabled list since July 1 with an elbow strain, likely won't pitch again this season. ... Green said SS Jose Rondon, who was promoted from Double-A San Antonio when 3B Yangervis Solarte left the team last Wednesday on family leave, will play the majority games at short "as long as he's up here with us." SS Alexei Ramirez, 34, has started 98 of the Padres' 105 games at short. Rondon started two straight.