SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The San Diego Padres avoided being swept by

Colorado, but were much more concerned about the possible loss of

right fielder Brian Giles.

Ryan Klesko had three RBI and Pedro Astacio threw seven strong

innings as the Padres beat the Rockies 4-3 on Sunday. But the knee

injury that drove Giles out of the game was a major concern for the

NL West leaders.

"I think it's fair to say he is one guy we can't lose," Padres

manager Bruce Bochy. "That would be a tremendous blow for us if we

had him go down."

Giles' injury is being called a bruised right knee after he

collided with center fielder Dave Roberts on a double hit by Choo

Freeman into the right-center field gap in the second inning. The

two hit their right knees together and Giles went down for a few

minutes before remaining in the game.

He doubled in the third inning, but had trouble running and was

replaced by pinch-runner Xavier Nady, who stayed in the game in

right field.

Giles is scheduled to undergo an MRI exam to rule out any

further damage. The fear is that there may be ligament damage to

the knee, the same knee in which Giles suffered a strained ligament

in April 2003 when playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was

forced to go on the disabled list and missed 23 games.

"Hopefully, it's a day to day thing and I will be right back

out there," said Giles, who added that the injury does not feel

the same as when he strained the ligament with Pittsburgh.

Giles leads the majors with 98 walks and has a team-high 68

RBI. He is also considered by the players to be their

inspirational leader.

"He's the glue that holds this team together," said Mark

Sweeney, who started at first base Sunday.

Even without Giles, San Diego finally figured out a way to beat

the Rockies, the NL's worst road team at 18-44. Colorado came in

with a four-game winning streak -- all on the road -- including the

first two games of the series. The Padres also handed Jamey Wright

his 16th loss, tying him for the most in the majors.

Klesko, who had been struggling recently, broke a 2-all tie in

the fifth inning with a bad-hop single that knocked in two runs.

Astacio (2-2) had his fourth consecutive strong outing, allowing

two runs and five hits. He struck out three and walked two.

"This was a big win for us," Klesko said. "We didn't need to

get swept by these guys."

Astacio has not allowed more than two earned runs in his last

four starts.

Trevor Hoffman pitched the ninth for his 33rd save in 35

chances.

Wright (6-16) allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings as

he tied Kansas City's Zack Greinke (3-16) for the major league lead

in losses. Wright, who struck out seven and walked two, also lost

his career-high fifth straight start.

"I'm not a very lucky pitcher," Wright said. "I thought I

threw the ball well today and came out with a loss."

Wright hurt himself in the fifth inning when he gave up a

one-out single to Roberts, then hit Joe Randa and Nady in

consecutive at-bats. Klesko hit a two-hopper to Todd Helton at

first base. As Helton dove for the ball, it took a bad bounce over

his glove into right field, scoring two runs and putting San Diego

ahead 4-2.

"I had a shot at it," Helton said. "I went full extension.

Once it took the hop, I didn't have a chance."

Klesko drove in a run with an RBI single in the first and Randa

hit a solo homer in the third, his 15th of the season and second

with San Diego since being acquired from Cincinnati in a trade July

23.

Garrett Atkins had a two-out, run-scoring single in the first

for Colorado, which tied the game at 2 in the fifth on Wright's

single and a two-out double by Helton.

The Rockies added a run in the eighth off Akinori Otsuka after

Helton drew a leadoff walk and scored when Matt Holliday tripled

off the center-field fence. Atkins reached on a throwing error by

shortstop Damian Jackson with Holliday holding at third.

Otsuka escaped the jam by getting Jorge Piedra on a popup and

pinch-hitter Cory Sullivan on a double play.Game notes
The Padres committed two errors, their fifth consecutive

game with an error. During that stretch, San Diego has made 11

errors. ... Wright is 1-8 in his last 10 starts. His only win was

Aug. 2 at San Francisco in a 4-3 victory.