SAN DIEGO -- The name and face are familiar but its a different Clayton Richard pitching for the San Diego Padres.Richard was sharp for six-plus innings and Wil Myers homered as San Diego defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-2 on Monday night.The win in the matchup between the NL Wests worst teams elevated the Padres into a fourth-place tie with Arizona.Richard (3-3) won his third straight decision, charged with two runs and six hits. He struck out two and walked two.I feel like Im better now than I have been in my career, Richard said.Arizona manager Chip Hale was impressed.He did a good job, pitched in, used his changeup and his breaking ball well, he said.Richard, in his second stint with the Padres, has resurrected his career as a starter. Used mostly by the Chicago Cubs as a reliever the last two years, Richard has allowed two runs or less in six of his seven starts with the Padres.Once a strikeout pitcher coming straight over the top, Richard now pitches from the stretch and with a three-quarter delivery. Since San Diego acquired Richard on waivers on Aug. 6 hes become the teams most consistent starter.I didnt have expectations when I can here, Richard said. I just wanted the opportunity to get on a big-league mound and show what I could do.Brandon Maurer pitched the ninth for his 11th save in 13 chances as the Padres snapped a three-game losing streak.Braden Shipley (4-4), who had won three of his last four starts, was gone after four innings. Shipley surrendered three runs -- two earned -- and six hits with three strikeouts.I just didnt feel like I had the command that I normally do, especially with my offspeed stuff, he said.Richard wasnt in trouble until the seventh when Kyle Jensens triple scored Yasmany Tomas. Philip Gosselin drove in Jensen with an infield hit when Richard was late covering first base on a grounder to the right side.Brad Hand relieved Richard and induced pinch-hitter Rickie Weeks to hit into an inning-ending double play.Brad came into a difficult situation with the momentum going and he stopped it, said Richard, who lowered his ERA as a starter to 1.71.The Padres scored three times in the fourth inning.Myers solo blast started the rally, coming on an elevated outside 93 mph fastball. He went the opposite way over the fence in right field for his 26th homer of the season and a franchise-record 16th at Petco Park.The big thing for me is to stay on the fastball, Myers said. To hit it the other way is good. I wasnt late. I was trying to work the ball that way.Alexi Amarista, who had two hits, followed with a two-run single to left, pushing the Padres ahead 3-0. It came after Derek Norris liner ricocheted off shortstop Chris Owings glove for an error.Padres general manager A.J. Preller started his 30-day suspension for breaking Major League Baseballs protocol for medical record-keeping on Monday.TRAINERS ROOMDiamondbacks: OF A.J. Pollock (strained groin) ran for the first time since getting hurt on Sept. 9.Padres: OF Jabari Blash (sprained finger), who has been out since Aug. 19, could rejoin the team at the end of the week.UP NEXTDiamondbacks: RHP Archie Bradley (7-9, 5.07) has produced three quality starts in his last five outings, going 3-1 with a 5.19 ERA. He has split his two decisions in three starts against the Padres.Padres: RHP Paul Clemens (3-5, 4.94) has dropped three of his last four starts, but the win came in his last one. He threw five innings of scoreless ball when the Padres blanked the San Francisco Giants on Sept. 12. http://www.bearsrookiestore.com/Bears-Jerrell-Freeman-Jersey/ . Thousands of fans at Mosaic Stadium will be cozying up to each other in an effort to stay warm in chilly temperatures and block the Prairie wind that locals say can knock your socks off. http://www.bearsrookiestore.com/Bears-Tom-Compton-Jersey/ . -- Gus Malzahn finally had his day in Fayetteville. http://www.bearsrookiestore.com/Bears-Mark-Sanchez-Jersey/ . Brazilian national coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has confirmed that the veteran goalkeeper is set to join Toronto on loan, saying it will help him be ready for the World Cup. http://www.bearsrookiestore.com/Bears-Bobby-Massie-Jersey/ . After Martin Skrtel put the Reds in front from close range at Stamford Bridge after only four minutes, Hazard hit back in the 17th with a superb strike. Etoo gave Jose Mourinhos team a decisive lead from Oscars back pass in the 34th. http://www.bearsrookiestore.com/Bears-Pernell-Mcphee-Jersey/ . Oaklands loss to Seattle clinched the ALs best record for the Red Sox with one day to spare in the regular season. "I think everybody was kind of watching," catcher David Ross said. "Demp (Ryan Dempster) came out before he went to the bullpen and was just yelling that they lost. LONDON -- Russian whistleblower Yulia Stepanova was cleared by the IAAF on Friday to compete as a neutral athlete in the European championships and the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.While her participation in next weeks European meet is assured, it remains uncertain whether the IOC will accept the decision for the Olympics.The IAAF said its doping review board accepted Stepanovas application to compete as an independent athlete under exceptional eligibility rules.The 800-meter runner provided evidence to the World Anti-Doping Agency of widespread cheating in Russia that led the IAAF to bar the countrys track and field athletes from international competition, including the Rio Games.Stepanova, who served a two-year doping ban before turning whistleblower, is living and training in the United States at an undisclosed location.The IAAF said Stepanovas petition to compete was granted because she made a truly exceptional contribution to the protection and promotion of clean athletes, fair play, and the integrity and authenticity of the sport. Stepanova is now eligible to compete in international competitions as an independent neutral athlete.The IAAF added that her participation as a neutral athlete is still subject to acceptance by the organizer of the competition in question, in accordance with the rules of that competition.The IAAF also said more than 80 Russian athletes applied to compete in Rio under exceptional eligibility provisions.The ruling on Stepanova came in time for the European championships in Amsterdam. Meet organizers welcomed her participation, saying she will compete under the European Athletics flag. The 800 heats will be on Wednesday.The decision to accept Stepanovas participation is in accordance with the competition rules of the European Athletics Championships, the European body said, adding it also recognized her exceptional contribution to the anti-doping fight.Stepanovas status for the Olympics remains uncertain, however.The IAAF and the International Olympic Committee have been at odds over how any Russian athletes would be represented if cleared for the games. The IOC says they should compete under the Russian flag, while the IAAF insists they should be under a neutral flag.The IOC said on Friday it had taken note of the IAAF announcement, stressing that Stepanovas eligibility is contingent on acceptance by event organizers.As said before, the IOC will carefully studyy the case of Ms.dddddddddddd. Stepanova once the IAAF has passed on the file with all the available information as requested by the IOC, the Olympic body said in a statement. The IOC also took note that the IAAF received more than 80 applications from other Russian athletes seeking `exceptional eligibility in international competitions.The IOC has said that entry of Russian athletes for the games would be under the control of the Russian Olympic Committee, which is not suspended. That means they would use the Russian flag.Stepanova was one of the worlds top 800-meter runners before she and her husband Vitaly Stepanov, a drug-testing official, provided evidence to German broadcaster ARD and WADA that doping was systematic in Russian athletics, with officials helping to cover it up.WADA welcomed Fridays ruling allowing Stepanova to return to competition, saying on its official Twitter feed that we fully support the decision and we now look forward to seeing Ms. Stepanova participating in international competitions as a neutral athlete.Russia was banned from all international competition by the IAAF in November after a WADA report alleged state-sponsored doping in the country.The IAAF upheld the ban last month, saying Russia failed to meet reform conditions. But the IAAF also approved a measure allowing individuals to compete as neutral athletes if they can show they have been regularly tested by a reliable agency. Russias own anti-doping agency was almost entirely shut down last year after it faced cover-up claims.The special eligibility measure is aimed largely at Russians who have been based abroad, and few athletes are likely to be considered, though U.S.-based long jumper Daria Klishina, a two-time European indoor champion, is likely to be one.The deadline to apply is Monday, and a decision on all claims will be made by July 18. The Olympic track and field competition starts on Aug. 12.Dmitry Shlyakhtin, the head of the suspended All-Russia Athletic Federation, said it was absolutely neutral on Stepanovas eligibility, in comments to the Tass news agency. He added the federation supported 68 applications by Russians to the IAAF but maybe someone filed applications themselves.---AP Sports Writers Dennis Passa and James Ellingworth contributed to this report. 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