Wells Keeps Passing Road Tests

MONTREAL â€”  David Wells says the San Diego Padres have what it takes to stick around in the National League playoff race.

Wells won his seventh consecutive road decision and helped himself with a single for the first run batted in of his career, leading the Padres to an 11-3 victory over the Montreal Expos on Sunday.

Ryan Klesko and Khalil Greene hit two-run homers for the Padres, who are tied with San Francisco for second place in the NL West and are in a three-way tie with the Giants and Chicago atop the wild-card standings.

“It’s a big boost for a pitching staff when you get some run support, and that’s how you jell,� said Wells, a member of nine playoff teams -- including two World Series champions. “When you score runs and the pitching does well, it gives the team a lot of hope.�

The Padres haven’t been involved in a playoff race since 1998, when they won their second NL pennant before being swept by Wells’ Yankees.

“I don’t like to look ahead too often and get ahead of ourselves,� Greene said. “I just worry about what we do. As long as we can beat the teams we need to beat, then I think we’ll be fine.�

Wells (9-7) gave up eight hits and three runs in seven innings, improving to 3-0 in his last four starts. He struck out two and walked none, the 12th time in 24 starts this season he hasn’t walked anyone.

“When you get a lead -- and we got it from the beginning -- you just want to go out there and throw strikes even more so than in a 0-0 ballgame,� Wells said.

His two-out single in the fourth inning scored Klesko and put San Diego ahead, 4-0.

“That’s something where I’m just like everyone else,� Wells said of his first RBI in his 100th career at-bat. “I want to go out there and put the bat on the ball and try to make something happen.�