Randy Vásquez quality in return, Padres blank D-backs

PHOENIX — For a time, Randy Vásquez filled in admirably in the San Diego Padres’ rotation.

Saturday’s return to the mound in a meaningless game for the Padres provided a reminder to a Arizona Diamondbacks team still trying to play its way into October.

The 25-year-old right-hander took a no-hitter into the sixth inning in his first start in the majors in nearly a month and ninth-inning home runs from Kyle Higashioka, Brandon Lockridge and Donovan Solano sent the Padres to a 5-0 win on Saturday.

Fighting for one of two remaining wild-card spots, Arizona sent left-hander A.J. Puk to face David Peralta with one out in the ninth and the former Diamondback burned his former team with a single to center.

Then Higashioka pulled a first-pitch slider out to left for his 17th homer and Lockridge, who might make the postseason roster as a pinch-runner extraordinaire, followed with the first homer of his career. Before the inning was over, Solano mashed a two-run homer off right-hander Scott McGough for his eighth of the season and fourth hit of the game.

A lineup missing several regulars out-hit Arizona 10-2 in dropping them a game behind the Atlanta Braves and tied with the New York Mets in a three-team battle for the NL’s final two playoff spots.

Corbin Carroll’s lead-off double in the sixth provided the Diamondbacks’ only hit off Vásquez, who struck out four, walked a batter and hit two in turning in six scoreless innings for the second time this season.

Vásquez’s ERA had swelled to 5.18 by the time he was last optioned to Triple-A El Paso on Sept. 1, but he’d thrown five quality starts among his first 19 trips to the mound as the Padres waded through a large chunk of the season without Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish.

Vásquez had an 8.21 ERA when El Paso’s season ended, but he’d been among the options staying ready if the Padres weren’t playing for anything this weekend.

Knuckleballer Matt Waldron has as well, although the Padres have announced — for now — that Martín Pérez will start Sunday’s game.

With the Padres clinching home-field advantage for the wild-card round, Luis Arraez, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill and Jake Cronenworth all sat on Saturday.

Arraez leads the NL batting title race with a .314 average and is expected to return to the lineup Sunday as he looks to hold off the surging Shohei Ohtani (.311).