Helping hands get the assist as Snell, Padres beat A’s

OAKLAND — Get “that dog.” Get in the zone. Get out of your own way.

Those were Blake Snell’s notes as he assessed yet another uninspiring start last week at Petco Park.

Of course, a little help from his friends never hurt.

Tommy Pham hit his fifth leadoff homer of the season, Wil Myers threw a runner out at the plate and the Padres’ bullpen fired four more shutout innings, all of it helping the beleaguered Snell pick up the victory in an 8-1 win over the Athletics on Tuesday night at the Oakland Coliseum.

As trivial as that stat is to some, it matters when the season has been as troublesome as Snell’s first year in a Padres uniform.

So do the baby steps taken to sidestep a dangerous Oakland team that knocked him around four a season-high seven runs in four innings last week in San Diego.

He had traffic in every inning, yes. He walked three more batters. He lasted only five innings.

But Snell did not break this time. Not after staring up at runners on second and third before recording his first out of the game.

Not after loading the bases in the second.

Not with Craig Stammen warming in a hurry after Starling Marte bombed a 113 mph, 408-foot homer to left in the fifth and Jed Lowrie walked with two outs, prompting a mound visit from Padres manager Jayce Tingler.

The intent did not appear to be to make the move to the bullpen just yet.

Given a bit more latitude with a 6-1 lead, Snell got out of the inning on Yan Gomes’ fly ball to center and passed the ball to the bullpen that, after four shutout innings Tuesday, is working on a string of 17 straight scoreless innings.

Snell struck out six, allowed the one run on Marte’s first homer with the Athletics and scattered six hits and three walks while throwing 65 of his 105 pitches for strikes.