San Diego, CA (Sports Network) - Ricky Nolasco tossed eight strong innings and the Florida Marlins defeated Greg Maddux and the San Diego Padres, 3-1, in the opener of a three-game set at Petco Park.

Nolasco (10-4) allowed one run on five hits and struck out seven. The right- hander has won a career-high five straight decisions and owns a 9-1 mark in his previous 12 games. Kevin Gregg tossed a 1-2-3 ninth to notch his 16th save.

"Command of the fastball, throwing strikes and pitching ahead," said Nolasco on the keys to his recent success."

Florida has gone an MLB-record 264 games without a complete-game effort from a starting pitcher (September 17, 2006-present).

Jorge Cantu belted a two-run homer for the Marlins, who have won two games in a row. Alfredo Amezaga finished 3-for-4 at the plate.

Maddux (3-7) gave up two runs -- one earned -- on four hits over six innings to take the loss. The four-time Cy Young Award winner extended his winless streak to 11 games, the longest drought since he went 13 straight outings without a victory from May 11-July 14, 1990. The 42-year-old has not registered a win since May 10 versus Colorado, going 0-4 with seven no decisions since registering his 350th career victory.

Bryan Corey allowed one run on two hits in two innings of relief.

Chase Headley homered for the Padres, who have lost their last nine contests as the host. It's the franchise's first nine-game home slide since August 11-30, 1980, when the Padres played at what was then known as Jack Murphy Stadium.

"He spotted the fastball and that breaking ball had some break to it," San Diego manager Bud Black said of Nolasco. "You saw a couple of our guys buckle a little bit."

The Marlins grabbed a 2-0 lead in the fourth. Hanley Ramirez reached first on Khalil Greene's fielding error to begin the frame. After Luis Gonzalez grounded into a fielder's choice, Cantu hammered a first-pitch fastball over the left field wall for his 16th home run of the season.

San Diego cut the lead in half in the fifth when Headley slugged his fifth home run of the season -- a lead-off drive to right.

Corey started in the top of the seventh for San Diego and gave up a one-out single to Amezaga. After Nolasco went down on strikes, Ramirez ripped a ball down the left-field line that third base umpire Chris Guccione ruled fair. Amezaga seemingly scored on the play and Ramirez ended up at second with an RBI double.

The San Diego manager came out to question the ruling, and the umpires convened and eventually overturned the call, saying that ball was foul. An irate Fredi Gonzalez emerged from the Marlins dugout and argued with second base umpire Joe West, who ejected the Florida skipper. After the on-field delay, Ramirez grounded out to end the inning.

Gonzalez stroked a lead-off double in the eighth and came around to score after a pair of groundouts by Cantu and Josh Willingham.