Giants starter Madison Bumgarner held the San Diego Padres without a run through eight innings in the two teams’ series opener Thursday night while also driving in the first run of the game himself and setting the stage for two Giants insurance runs in the eighth and a Mark Melancon save to seal a 3-0 win.
Friday night, however, was a different story for the Giants, as Chris Stratton was the pitcher giving up two late runs and three total, while the Giants were unable to solve Padres starter Clayton Richard for more than one run. They produced the same against the Padres’ bullpen, but it was not enough, as the Padres ultimately prevailed 6-2 to even the series and drop the Giants back below .500.
The Giants opened the scoring in the first when Gorkys Hernandez doubled to lead off the inning and later scored from third on a wild pitch, but the Padres countered with one of their own in the second, as Cory Spangenberg doubled to lead off and scored on a Manuel Margot double.
Stratton and Richard both held serve until the sixth when Spangenberg singled, advanced to third on a Freddy Galvis single and then scored on a Stratton wild pitch. Galvis advanced to third on the pitch and later scored on another Margot RBI single.
The Giants gained one run back in the seventh when Andrew McCutchen led off the inning with a single, advanced to second on a Mac Williamson walk, and scored on a two-out single by Pablo Sandoval. With Williamson advancing to third on Sandoval’s single, the Giants had an opportunity to tie the game, but Alen Hanson flied out to left to end the inning.
They threatened again in the eighth when Joe Panik led off the inning with a single. The Giants were unable to advance Panik in the inning until Padres reliever Kirby Yates’ wild pitch advanced Panik to second with McCutchen at the plate. But Yates was able to recover and struck out McCutchen to end the threat.
The Padres added three insurance runs in the top of the ninth on an Eric Hosmer check-swing two-run single and a Jose Pirela RBI single. The Giants were unable to threaten in the ninth.
The loss drops the Giants to 38-39 and five games back of the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West.
