CINCINNATI (AP) _ Dante Bichette hit into another double play Wednesday night before his three-run homer off Trevor Hoffman lifted the Cincinnati Reds to a 5-1 victory over the San Diego Padres.

Bichette grounded into a double play in the first inning, his fourth in two games _ one shy of the major league record. He came up with two runners on base and no outs in the eighth, but this time he homered off Hoffman, pitching for the first time in a week.

Bichette is 7-for-18 for his career off the Padres closer, with four homers.

The Reds (17-15) moved two games over .500 for the first time this season by winning for the fourth time in five games. It was roughly the same time last season that the Reds pulled out of an early slump and went on to win 96 games.

By contrast, the Padres lost their fifth in a row, their worst slump since last August. They've dropped 11 of 14 overall.

Left-hander Sterling Hitchcock (0-5) remained in an even deeper slump, staying winless since last Aug. 18. He gave up two runs on six hits in six innings, including Alex Ochoa's run-scoring single in the first and Ron Villone's double, his second career RBI, in the second.

Hitchcock has only one win in his last 17 starts and seems to bring out the worst in the Padres. San Diego has lost all of his eight starts this season and is 1-17 in his last 18 starts.

The Padres got on the scoreboard for the only time so far in the two-game series when Eric Owens homered in the sixth inning off Villone (4-1). The left-hander gave up five hits and two walks in 6 1-3 innings.

Scott Williamson pitched the last two innings for his fourth save in five chances.

Once again, the Padres got hurt because they couldn't get the opposing pitcher out in a clutch situation. Benito Santiago doubled in the second and Villone doubled _ the first extra-base hit of his career _ for a 2-0 lead.

In the last eight games, opposing pitchers are 7-for-16 with two doubles, a homer and six RBIs against San Diego.

Hitchcock had trouble getting his pitches to the plate. At least five bounced in front of it, and one pitch to Pokey Reese slipped out of his hand and nearly made it to the backstop on the fly.

Notes: The Padres are 2-8 against left-handed starters, losing seven in a row. ... Owens hit leadoff for the first time this season and went 2-for-4, raising his average to .362. ... With the Padres in a skid, Hoffman has been used only three times in the last 13 games. ... Zeke Bonura of the New York Giants grounded into five double plays in consecutive games in 1939, setting the NL and major league record. The AL record is four by numerous players. ... Bichette has hit into seven double plays this season, most on the team.