LDN - Sports

Padres take down Giants, Bumgarner

[July 16, 2016] SAN DIEGO -- Andrew Cashner is only 29.

But when Andy Green described the right-hander's performance in his pitching duel with San Francisco's Madison Bumgarner Friday night at Petco Park, the Padres manager called it "vintage Cashner."

"That was a top-of-the-rotation-type start," Green said after the Padres defeated the Giants for the first time this season by a 4-1 score.

"We asked Cashner to get away from his sinker tonight," continued Green. "We asked him to use his power four-seam fastball and power slider. He threw fastballs at up to 99 (mph) and sliders are 92-93. He owned the top of the zone."

While Cashner and three relievers held the Giants to five hits, the Padres were scoring four runs against Bumgarner, capped by solo homers by Adam Rosales and Wil Myers to end a run of nine straight Padres losses to open the season against the Giants.

The run of nine straight wins over the Padres tied San Francisco's longest winning streak against a single team to open the season since the Giants moved to San Francisco for the 1958 season.

"They owned us the first half of the season," Green said of the Giants' domination. "They beat us handily and consistently."

Until Friday night. The Padres, who are 19-18 over their last 37 games, controlled the team that entered the second half of the season with a major league-best 57-33 record.

Cashner, left-handed relievers Brad Hand and Ryan Buchter and closer Brandon Maurer retired 22 of the last 25 Giants they faced.

"I had good stuff," said Cashner, of his best outing of the season. "I was able to get on top of my fastball and slider. I've always had good command of my four-seamer."

Cashner (4-7) allowed one run on four hits and a hit batter with nine strikeouts over six innings. He retired 14 of the last 16 Giants he faced, including eight in a row at one point. The nine strikeouts was a season high for Cashner.

Bumgarner (10-5) allowed four runs on seven hits and a walk with nine strikeouts in six innings. He also gave up his 13th and 14th homers of the season.

"He just wasn't quite as sharp as he usually is," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said of Bumgarner, who entered the game riding a streak of 15 straight scoreless innings to close the first half.

"We've gotten pretty spoiled with him. He wasn't quite as sharp and they took advantage of it. Still, he keeps you in the game."

Myers paced the Padres offensively, going 2-for-3 with a walk, his 20th homer and two runs scored.

The Padres drew a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Myers drew a one-out walk and raced home from first when Yangervis Solarte drilled a full-count, two-out pitch from Bumgarner into the left-field corner for a double.

The Giants evened the score in the second, partially because reserve catcher Christian Bethancourt was starting in left for the Padres with Melvin Upton Jr. away from the team on bereavement leave.

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Brandon Crawford opened the San Francisco second with a drive to left that eluded the leaping Bethancourt for a double. Conor Gillaspie followed with a run-scoring single.

But the Padres scored in the third on three straight, one-out singles by lead-off hitter Derek Norris, Myers and Matt Kemp, who drove in his 59th run.

Then the Padres turned to the long ball against Bumgarner.

Rosales made it 3-1 with his sixth homer of the season leading off the bottom of the fourth against Bumgarner. His drive down the left-field line traveled 358 feet and hit the side of the first balcony of the Western Metal Supply Co. building.

Myers made it 4-1 with a 409-foot drive to right center off Bumgarner in the fifth.

Maurer retired the side in the ninth to get his second save since taking over as the Padres closer.

The last inning featured two injections after Maurer threw a called third strike past Giants first baseman Brandon Belt. It was the fourth strikeout of the night for Belt, with the last three coming on called third strikes.

Belt got ejected for the first time in his career after engaging plate umpire Mike Estabrook in a debate at the plate. Bochy came out, continued the argument and was ejected for the second time this season and the 70th time in his career.

The game also featured Bumgarner staring down three Padres -- Myers during his home-run trot, Cashner after he struck out Bumgarner in the fifth and Padres center fielder after Bumgarner threw him out on a close play at first on a bunt attempt.

NOTES: San Diego LF Melvin Upton Jr. was placed on bereavement leave Friday and is scheduled to rejoin the Padres on Monday in St. Louis. The Padres recalled INF/OF Alexi Amarista from Triple-A El Paso to replace Upton. ... San Diego purchased the contract of LHP Buddy Baumann from El Paso. Baumann replaces LHP Drew Pomeranz, who was traded to Boston on Thursday for 18-year-old prospect RHP Anderson Espinosa. ... Padres 2B Cory Spangenberg suffered an additional tear to his left quad muscle, an injury that has kept him on the disabled list since April 19. Padres manager Andy Green said Spangenberg could miss the rest of the season. ... San Francisco RF Hunter Pence (right hamstring strain), who has been out since June 2, began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento on Friday. He will remain with the River Cats for at least 30 at-bats. ... Giants INF Joe Panik passed his concussion tests Friday and will start a rehab assignment Sunday or Monday. ... San Francisco RHP Matt Cain made his final rehab start with Single-A San Jose Friday and is scheduled to start July 19 or 20 at Boston.

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