BOSTON — The San Diego Padres had lost five straight games when they arrived at Citizens Bank Park on June 19.

They were one defeat away from their first 0-6 road trip in 15 seasons.

They had batted .181 and averaged just more than 2 1/2 runs a game during the five losses and had fallen to two games below .500 and out of playoff position.

They were facing major league ERA leader Ranger Suarez and a Phillies team that was going for its major league-leading 50th victory.

It was not Suarez the Padres beat that day, but they did win the game, salvaging some semblance of positivity from the trip and, it turned out, beginning a surge.

Saturday, an 11-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox gave the Padres their ninth win in 10 games, a season-best stretch that began that day in Philadelphia.

This time they beat Tanner Houck, whose 2.18 ERA at the start of the game was second in the major leagues behind only Suarez (1.83) and who had allowed two home runs all season.

Manny Machado hit that many homers off Houck on Saturday, Jackson Merrill hit one, and Brett Sullivan hit one off rookie Bailey Horn, who replaced Houck (7-6, 2.67) after his shortest outing of the season.

The Padres scored eight runs off Houck and were up 10-0 after five innings before walking to their fifth consecutive victory, which moved them to five games above .500, at 46-41.

It is their longest winning streak and best record of the season.

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