Triple play, Woodward hit send 51s past Tucson

Chris Woodward hit a tiebreaking three-run double and started a triple play to send the 51s to a 5-4 win over the Tucson Padres in a Pacific Coast League game Thursday in Tucson, Ariz.

Woodward's pivotal hit came on a full-count pitch from Padres starter Colt Hynes (1-6) with two outs in the sixth inning. Jonathan Diaz, Las Vegas' No. 9 batter, followed with an RBI single to put the 51s (30-24) up 5-1.

The triple play came in the fourth. After Las Vegas starter Scott Richmond (5-3) had walked Matt Clark and hit Cody Decker with a pitch, Woodward fielded Daniel Robertson's grounder at third, stepped on the base to retire Clark and threw to Diaz to retire Decker at second. Diaz then relayed to first baseman Yan Gomes to cap the rare feat.

Gomes led off the fifth inning with his seventh home run of the season, tying the score at 1.

Decker's second homer of the year, a two-out, three-run shot in the sixth, capped the scoring.

Richmond, who pitched eight shutout innings Saturday in beating Salt Lake, held Tucson (19-35) to four runs on seven hits and three walks and struck out four in 6 2/3 innings. Chad Beck worked around Blake Tekotte's two-out double in the ninth to earn his eighth save.

Diaz, Anthony Gose, Adam Lind, Travis d'Arnaud and Moises Sierra had two hits each as the 51s held a 13-9 edge in hits.

■ NOTES - The Toronto Blue Jays outrighted Lind to the minors and selected the contract of pitcher Robert Coello.

Lind, a first baseman, was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas on May 17 after batting .186 with three home runs and 11 RBIs in 34 games for the Jays. The move takes Lind off the 40-man roster to make room for Coello, a 27-year-old right-hander who went 3-1 with a 3.22 ERA in 17 games with the 51s.