SB Nation Bay Area - Giants vs. Padres: Pads Avoid Sweep, Take Game Three 3-1https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48817/bayrea-fave.png2011-09-08T10:20:55-07:00http://bayarea.sbnation.com/rss/stream/21708522011-09-08T10:20:55-07:002011-09-08T10:20:55-07:00Giants vs. Padres, MLB Scores: Matt Cain Shines As Giants Fall 3-1
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<p>San Diego, CA (Sports Network) – Will Venable homered and threw out the potential tying run at home plate in the seventh inning, as the Padres upended the contending Giants, 3-1, to salvage a three-game series.</p>
<p>Aaron Harang (13-5) outdueled Matt Cain, allowing just one run on four hits and three walks in seven innings for San Diego, which was mired in a 1-11 funk before hurting its division rival’s playoff chances.</p>
<p>Cain (11-10), making his 200th career start, wound up on the losing end after surrendering two runs on four hits over seven frames.</p>
<p>“[Cain] did a great job. … We just couldn’t get any runs for him,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.</p>
<p>The setback dropped the reigning World Series champions seven games behind NL West-leading Arizona with 19 left to play.</p>
<p>San Diego broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth when Cameron Maybin doubled with two outs and scored on Jesus Guzman’s dribbler through the left side. Guzman’s single came on a 3-0 count, and Venable made sure the precarious lead stood in the next half-inning.</p>
<p>A single and an error with one out left runners on the corners for Pat Burrell, and the pinch-hitter lofted a short fly ball to right that Venable caught on the run. With his momentum carrying him forward, Venable threw a strike to the plate, nailing Brett Pill in a bang-bang play to end the frame.</p>
<p>“[Venable] got the good exchange out of the glove to the hand. He made an accurate throw on line,” Padres manager Bud Black said. “It was a critical junction double play.”</p>
<p>Hundley gunned down pinch-runner Darren Ford trying to steal second in the eighth, quelling a Giants rally before it started, and Maybin added an insurance run in the bottom half with an <span class="caps">RBI</span> triple off Jeremy Affeldt.</p>
<p>Heath Bell, who recorded the final out in the eighth, closed it out in the ninth for his 36th save and first since August 23.</p>
<p>Venable sent Cain’s second offering into the seats down the right-field line, extending a Padres record with his fifth leadoff homer of the season.</p>
<p>Pill, who went deep in his first career at-bat on Tuesday, added another blast in the fifth to tie things.</p>
<p>Game Notes</p>
<p>Cain became the fifth Giants pitcher to reach 200 innings in five straight seasons…The last time the Giants swept the Padres in San Diego was August 14-17, 2006…San Fran has Thursday off before taking on the Dodgers for three games at AT&T Park…The Giants had seven hits to San Diego’s five, falling to 60-9 when out-hitting the opposition.</p>
https://bayarea.sbnation.com/san-francisco-giants/2011/9/8/2412762/giants-vs-padres-mlb-scores-matt-cain-shines-as-giants-fall-3-1Ernie Pomin2011-09-07T20:05:03-07:002011-09-07T20:05:03-07:00Giants Trail In NL West Race, Have Chance With Favorable Late-Season Schedule
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<p>It's no secret that the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">San Francisco Giants</a> have struggled recently. The team is 4-6 in its last ten games and 75-68 overall, a good record but one that may not be good enough to secure a playoff berth this year.</p>
<p>The Giants sit 6 1/2 games back of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Arizona Diamondbacks</a> in the NL West, who could stretch their lead to 7 games tonight if they beat the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.purplerow.com/">Colorado Rockies</a>. This is an issue for a Giants squad that has only 19 games left to play this season.</p>
<p>Is the division out of reach? It's not, and the reason becomes evident once you take a look at the remaining schedule. The Giants play six more series this year: two against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Los Angeles Dodgers</a>, two against the Rockies, one against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.gaslampball.com/">San Diego Padres</a> and one against the Diamondbacks.</p>
<p>Of those teams, only the Diamondbacks have a winning record right now. That gives the Giants a huge opportunity: if the team can win, say, 75% of the games against the Dodgers, Rockies and Padres and the Diamondbacks play .500 or slightly-above .500 ball, both teams could be in contention for the division crown heading into their three-game series.</p>
<p>The Giants can still make a run at the division, but they need to start playing better and putting teams away. We'll see how they perform over the next few weeks, but make sure you circle Sept. 23<sup>rd</sup> on your calendar. That marks the beginning of the (potentially) important Giants-Diamondbacks series.</p>
https://bayarea.sbnation.com/san-francisco-giants/2011/9/7/2411764/san-francisco-giants-nl-west-race-2011--arizona-diamondbacksNikil Selvam2011-09-06T22:58:52-07:002011-09-06T22:58:52-07:00Giants vs. Padres, MLB Scores: Brett Pill Homers in Big League Debut, Giants Hang On For 6-4 Victory
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<p>The San Francisco Giants have found themselves a new spark plug in the form of Brett Pill, while the team hopefully finds a elongated winning streak against the San Diego Padres. Carlos Beltran was clutch once more, Eric Surkamp pitched well, and the Giants won their second game in as many days by the score of 6-4 at Petco Park.</p>
<p>Surkamp (W 1-0) got his first big league win in his five innings of work, allowing three runs on five hits, one of which came from a Nick Hundley homer in the second. He walked only one while fanning two, throwing 756 pitches in his terrific effort this evening.</p>
<p>As for Brett Pill, he smashed the second pitch he saw into the bleachers for his first major league hit, joining Brandon Crawford as the second Giants rookie to do so this season. Carlos Beltran kept showing why the Black and Orange acquired him, finishing 3-4 with three <span class="caps">RBI</span>, Jeff Keppinger finished 2-5, while Orlando Cabrera finished 1-4 with an <span class="caps">RBI</span>.</p>
<p>With the win the Giants move to 75-67 on the year, six games behind the D’backs for first place. Full box score can be found <a href="http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=310906125" target="new">here</a>.</p>
<p><em>For more on the Giants, head over to <a href="http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/" target="new">McCovey Chronicles. </a></em></p>
https://bayarea.sbnation.com/san-francisco-giants/2011/9/6/2409734/giants-vs-padres-mlb-scores-brett-pill-homers-in-big-league-debut-eric-surkamp-carlos-beltranErnie Pomin2011-09-05T16:15:17-07:002011-09-05T16:15:17-07:00Giants vs. Padres, MLB Scores: Pablo Sandoval Homers Twice, Backs Madison Bumgarner for 7-2 Win
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<p>The Giants are in San Diego for a three game set with the Padres. For more on the Black and Orange head over to <a href="http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/" target="new">McCovey Chronicles. </a></p> <p>Despite the disappointing finish to their series with the <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Diamondbacks</a>, the <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">San Francisco Giants</a> came to San Diego looking to focus on the task at hand, winning ballgames. <span>Madison Bumgarner</span> set a new career high with strikeouts, Pabo Sandoval launched two bombs at Petco Park and the Giants dropped the <a href="https://www.gaslampball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Padres</a> 7-2. </p>
<p>Bumgarner (W 10-12) was brilliant over his eight and 1/3 innings of work, getting pulled just two outs shy of his first career complete game after a <span>Nick Hundley</span> solo jack. The 13 Padres fanned by Bummy is a new career high, keeping the Pads to two runs on seven hits with only one walk. </p>
<p>Pablo's double-dip brought his homer total to 18 on the season, driving a 2-0 curveball into the sandpit in center field in the first inning, followed by a towering shot to left field in the fourth. <span>Brandon Crawford</span> added two RBI with a ground out and a single, <span>Cody Ross</span> stayed hot with a two RBI double in the eighth, while <span>Mark DeRosa</span> topped it off after drawing a bases loaded walk for the seventh and final run of the game for the Giants. </p>
<p><span>Carlos Beltran</span> was scratched before the game due to illness, apparently some form of gastric illness. </p>
<p>With the win the Giants move to 74-67 on the year. Full box score can be found <a target="_blank" href="http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=310905125">here</a>. </p>
https://bayarea.sbnation.com/san-francisco-giants/2011/9/5/2406791/giants-vs-padres-mlb-scores-pablo-sandoval-homers-twice-backs-madisonErnie Pomin