"Back home at Miller Park and Zack Greinke on the mound.

That turned out to be the perfect recipe for success for the Milwaukee Brewers, who put their just-completed 2-8 road trip in the rear-view mirror - they hope - with a 4-3 victory over the San Diego Padres on Monday night.

Making just his second start with his new team and his first in front of a home crowd, Greinke was as advertised. In a six-inning, 89-pitch outing, the right-hander limited the Padres to five hits and two earned runs without a walk while striking out nine.

Toss in some rare timely offense by a team that's been scuffling with the bats and a rally-killing, highlight-reel double play in the top of the eighth started by shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt, and the Brewers started their six-game homestand as well as they could have hoped before a crowd of 27,058.

"It's a huge win - especially for what's been happening with us on the road trip," said manager Ron Roenicke. "To come back here, I think everybody had a good feeling. So for Zack to come out and throw the type of game he did and give our offense a chance to score a few runs is huge.

"You never know what game it's going to take to get on the right track. I was thinking (Yovani) Gallardo's start the other day was going to get us on track and it didn't. So hopefully with this type of ball game, it does."

Greinke was sharp early, striking out five of the first nine batters vs. a San Diego team that entered the game hitting .215, worst in the major leagues.

He also was staked to a 2-0 lead thanks to some rare early offense.

Centerfielder Carlos Gomez, back in the No. 2 spot in the lineup, got things going with a one-out triple to left and scored when Padres starter Mat Latos uncorked a wild pitch three batters later.

It was the Brewers' first first-inning run since April 29, the day they opened their road trip in Houston.

Then in the second Jonathan Lucroy sent a one-out single to center, bringing up Greinke. After twice failing to lay down a sacrifice bunt, Greinke squared around to bunt only to pull the bat back and slap an infield single."