San Diego, CA (Sports Network) – Matt Cain pitched seven solid innings and San Francisco’s offense backed him with three home runs, as the Giants beat the San Diego Padres, 8-3, in the finale of a three-game series.
Cain (7-2) gave up three unearned runs on seven hits while fanning nine for the Giants, who have won nine of their past 11 games. The right-hander has won six straight starts since opening the season with one win in his first five outings.
Buster Posey, Angel Pagan and Gregor Blanco each homered for San Francisco. Pagan extended his hitting streak to 15 games, while Ryan Theriot went 4-for-5 with an RBI and run scored.
Chase Headley knocked in two runs for the Padres, who lost the final two games of this series.
Jason Marquis (0-1), making his first start in a San Diego uniform, allowed four runs — two earned — on nine hits over six innings. Marquis, who had six strikeouts, started the season with the Minnesota Twins and made seven starts — going 2-4 with an 8.47 earned run average — before he was let go on May 28. He signed a minor-league deal with the Padres a day later and made one start at Double-A San Antonio in the Texas League before Thursday’s call-up to the majors.
San Francisco’s offense got going in the first inning. With Theriot on first and one out, Melky Cabrera hit a grounder back to Marquis. The veteran pitcher’s throwing error put men on first and second. Posey followed with an RBI single up the middle. Brandon Belt added a two-out double to right, which scored Cabrera for a 2-0 lead.
The Giants tacked on another run in the second. Blanco hit a two-out double to right and crossed the plate on Theriot’s base hit to right.
Posey’s solo homer to left in the third made it 4-0.
But San Diego managed to get three runs back in the bottom of the frame. Marquis led off with a single and Cameron Maybin followed with a deep fly ball to center. Pagan dropped the ball, though, allowing the runners to reach second and third. Yonder Alonso then hit a grounder to second baseman Theriot, who went home with the ball. A low throw allowed a run to score. Headley followed with a two-run double off the wall in right-center field. Cain retired the next two batters to keep it 4-3.
Pagan came through with a big homer in the seventh. Brad Brach gave up a leadoff single to Cabrera, who scored on Pagan’s one-out homer to right.
Blanco’s solo homer off Alex Hinshaw in the eighth made it a 7-3 game.
Belt added an RBI single off Ross Ohlendorf in the ninth to give the Giants a five-run cushion.
The Padres left the bases loaded in the eighth and ninth.
Game Notes
The Giants had four errors…The Padres are just 5-15 in the past 20 meetings between the teams…Cain has won six straight starts for the first time since May 17-June 14, 2009…San Diego has dropped 10 of its past 12 games…The Padres placed pitcher Eric Stults on the 15-day disabled list on Thursday. To make room for Marquis on the 40-man roster, the Padres transferred infielder Jason Bartlett to the 60-day DL.
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