SAN DIEGO -- Yovani Gallardo pitched well enough to win when he was off his game.

The Brewers ace pitched into the seventh inning and Milwaukee rode an early offensive outburst to another win, beating the San Diego Padres 6-3 on Tuesday night for its ninth straight win.

Gallardo (2-1) allowed three runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings, with five walks and two strikeouts. Jonathan Lucroy hit a two-run double in the Brewers' five-run second inning.

"It was a struggle," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said of Gallardo's start. "His command, ball-strike ratio in the first three innings -- that wasn't him. But I was glad to see somewhere in there that he got it together. If he can keep us in ballgames and win ballgames when he's struggling, it's going to be a nice thing when he gets going."

Jim Henderson pitched the ninth for his fifth save in five chances.

Padres starter Clayton Richard (0-2), who missed his previous start due to the flu, allowed six runs on six hits in 1 2/3 innings.

"The Brewers had good at-bats against Clayton," Padres manager Bud Black said. "They had a lot of opposite-field hits and they were taking what he was giving them. They strung some hits together in the second after the leadoff walk, and it kind of snowballed from there."

The Padres have lost five straight overall and seven straight at home, their longest skid since a seven-game losing streak from Aug. 26 to Sept. 5, 2010, at Petco Park. They have scored six runs in their five-game losing streak and are 5-15 on the season.

The nine-game winning streak is Milwaukee's longest since it won 10 in a row from Aug. 19 to 28, 2003. The Brewers started 2-8 this season.

The Brewers broke it open in the second on a two-run single by Yuniesky Betancourt, a groundout by Segura and Lucroy's double after an intentional walk to Ryan Braun.

Gallardo's victory was his second straight since he was arrested on drunken-driving charges April 16. He left in the seventh after issuing three straight walks, his last to Carlos Quentin to load the bases with two out.

Left-hander Tom Gorzelanny came on and struck out Yonder Alonso on three pitches to end the threat.

"My mechanics were a little bit off, to be honest, those few innings," Gallardo said. "I was falling behind hitters, but I felt a lot better as the game was going along and I could find my rhythm except for that seventh inning.

"I got two quick outs and tried to just, tried to finish the inning too quickly and walked three straight batters," Gallardo said. "But Gorzy picked me up. And the guys played terrific defense behind me."

Quentin, playing in his first game since his eight-game suspension for his part in a brawl with the Dodgers and Zack Greinke on April 11, drove in the Padres' first run with a single in San Diego's two-run first inning

The Padres went up 2-1 in the bottom of the first on Quentin's RBI single and another by Alonso after Braun's infield grounder scored Jean Segura, who had tripled.

Thad Weber pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of Richard for the Padres.

Roenicke was tossed out of the game for arguing balls and strikes by plate umpire Gary Darling in the fifth inning on a check swing by Headley.

"Darling kicked me out for me saying that he missed the call," Roenicke said of Headley's check swing. "It was a full swing. When they make a mistake like that, they should take a little bit. And for me to get thrown out because I yelled that they missed it, that's wrong."

Game notes
Segura had three hits and turned an unassisted double play in the fourth inning. ... Brewers RHP Kyle Lohse said he has a little soreness from dislocating his pinkie finger on his left hand Monday night but said he expects to make his next scheduled start, which would be Sunday against the Dodgers and Clayton Kershaw. However, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said Lohse's start could be pushed back to next Monday or Tuesday at home against the Pirates. "We could bump him back a day or two days. We'll see how he does and how he grabs a bat and see what happens there," he said. ... Brewers rookie RHP Hiram Burgos, who won his major league debut April 20 against the Cubs, will take his spot in the regular rotation Friday against the Dodgers. ... Padres RHP Edinson Volquez (0-3, 8.84 ERA) will make his 11th start against the Brewers on Wednesday night, against Milwaukee RHP Marco Estrada (2-0, 4.50).