|
 Pinch hitter Alexi Amarista singled home catcher Derek Norris with
one out in the ninth inning Thursday night, giving the Padres a 5-4
win in the rubber match of the three-game series.
The loss dropped the reigning World Series champion Giants eight
games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers with 10 games to play in the
National League West. San Francisco is 10 games behind the Chicago
Cubs for the second NL wild card.
Norris, who hit a three-run homer in the second inning off Giants
starter Madison Bumgarner, opened the Padres' ninth with a double to
left off right-handed reliever Mike Broadway. A sacrifice bunt by
center fielder Melvin Upton Jr. moved Norris to third.
Broadway (0-2) then walked pinch hitter Brett Wallace. Left-hander
Josh Osich came into face Amarista, who singled on the second pitch.
Craig Kimbrel (4-2) got the win after throwing one scoreless inning.
The Padres tied the game 4-4 in the bottom of the eighth when right
fielder Matt Kemp doubled home third baseman Cory Spangenberg for
his 99th RBI of the season.
The double down the line in left off right-handed reliever Sergio
Romo ended Bumgarner's bid for a 19th win.
The left-hander retired 18 of the final 21 hitters after Norris'
homer. Bumgarner allowed three runs on three hits and three walks
over seven innings. He struck out nine.
Bumgarner was in line for the win after the Giants rallied from a
3-1 deficit against Padres right-handed starter Ian Kennedy.
Padres left fielder Justin Upton drew a walk to open the second.
Second baseman Jedd Gyorko followed with a single, and Norris
followed with a home run to right on a 1-2 pitch, the 381-foot drive
that put the Padres ahead 3-1.
Meanwhile, the Giants had plenty of opportunities against Kennedy
but still trailed 3-2 after four innings despite having nine hits.
In fact, eight of the first 12 hitters Kennedy faced had hits,
including a homer and three doubles.
However, San Francisco center fielder Angel Pagan was thrown out at
the plate in the first, and Kennedy coaxed double-play grounders to
get out of jams in the second and third.
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Shortstop Brandon Crawford led off the second with his 20th home
run, a 417-foot shot to center, to give the Giants a short-lived 1-0
lead. Right fielder Marlon Byrd and second baseman Kelby Tomlinson
followed with back-to-back singles. However, first baseman Kevin
Frandsen grounded into a double play and Bumgarner took a disputed
called third strike by plate umpire Joe West to end the threat.
Pagan opened the third with his second double and scored on a single
by left fielder Alejandro De Aza to make it 3-2.
The Giants took a 4-3 lead in the top of the fifth, although it took
a balk from Kennedy to get the go-ahead run across.
De Aza opened the fifth with a double and moved to third on a
grounder to the right side before Crawford drew a two-out walk. Byrd
singled home DeAza with Crawford moving to third, from where he
scored when Kennedy balked for the first time this season.
NOTES: 1B Kevin Frandsen made his first start for the Giants since
2009. He finished his season with Triple-A Sacramento, and the
injury-depleted Giants purchased his contract Wednesday. ... San
Francisco 1B Brandon Belt met with a specialist in Pittsburgh on
Thursday to discuss his concussion. ... Padres 3B Yangervis Solarte,
who came out of Wednesday's game with a right hamstring cramp, was a
late scratch from the starting lineup Thursday with the same
problem. ... San Diego 1B Wil Myers was back in the leadoff spot
Thursday after being scratched Wednesday night with minor discomfort
in his surgically repaired left wrist. ... LHP Cory Luebke, who
underwent two Tommy John surgeries since he last pitched in a major
league game in 2012, is scheduled to face live hitters within the
week at the Padres' year-round training base in Peoria, Ariz.
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