San Diego, CA (Best E Casino) - Brendan Harris and Craig Monroe clubbed two- run homers, and the Minnesota Twins got to Greg Maddux to post their eighth straight victory, 9-3, over the San Diego Padres.

Carlos Gomez had three hits, including a two-run single, and Joe Mauer added a two-run double for the Twins, who are on their longest win streak since capturing eight in a row in July 2006. Brian Buscher scored three times.

Glen Perkins (4-2) allowed six hits and three runs over five innings to win his second consecutive start, as the Twins moved within a half-game of the Chicago White Sox for first place in the AL Central.

"Beating Maddux is pretty exciting for us," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We got behind 3-0 and you don't want to get behind that guy too often, but our guys played the game and got some good swings and banged the ball around enough."

Maddux (3-6) was lit up for seven hits and seven runs -- six earned -- over 5 2/3 innings to remain winless in his last nine starts. The four-time Cy Young Award winner has three losses in that span with his last win, the 350th of his career, coming May 10 versus Colorado. It's the second-longest drought of his Hall of Fame caliber career, as Maddux went 13 starts between wins in 1990.

Scott Hairston had two hits and an RBI double for the Padres, who have lost four in a row and eight of nine.

"I don't think there's anything to point to specifically why it's happening," Padres manager Bud Black said of his team's 3-11 mark in interleague games. "We're just not playing well enough to win right now."

San Diego scored twice in the first and again in the second to assume a 3-0 lead, before blowing the advantage. Edgar Gonzalez and Brian Giles singled with one out in the first, and Adrian Gonzalez followed with an RBI fielder's choice. Kevin Kouzmanoff then tripled to right-center for a 2-0 lead. It became a three-run margin on Hairston's double in the next inning, scoring Michael Barrett.

However, Maddux struggled in the third. Buscher singled and with two outs Gomez was hit by a pitch. Alexi Casilla singled to right for a run, and Mauer followed with a double to left for the 3-2 lead.

An error by third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff allowed Michael Cuddyer to reach base to start the fourth, and one out later Harris homered for the second time in as many nights, a blast to left.

Gomez singled in Jason Kubel and Buscher in the sixth for the 7-3 lead, finishing Maddux's night on the mound.

Monroe belted a pinch-hit homer in the eighth off Mike Adams with Buscher on base.

Game Notes

Maddux entered the night tied for second all-time with 19 interleague wins...Justin Morneau's 12-game hit streak was snapped for the Twins...Maddux remains four wins away from Roger Clemens for eighth place on the all-time list...Minnesota is 11-3 versus NL clubs in 2008.