Profar, Padres Beat Giants 3-1 For Doubleheader Sweep
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Jurickson Profar hit a go-ahead RBI single in the fifth inning and the San Diego Padres won their seventh straight game, 3-1 against the San Francisco Giants on Sunday to sweep a doubleheader forced because of a false positive COVID-19 test.
In the first game, Mike Clevinger threw a two-hitter for his second career shutout and the Padres won 6-0. Greg Garcia and Wil Myers each had a two-out, two-run single off Johnny Cueto (2-1).
The Padres have won 11 of 13 games. They entered the day three games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. With the playoffs expanded in the pandemic-shortened season, the Padres are in firm control of second place as they close in on their first postseason berth since 2006.
The Giants, who are in the wild-card hunt, have lost three straight after winning five in a row.
San Francisco said Sunday that outfielder Alex Dickerson received news of a positive test result for the novel coronavirus minutes before he was set to play against his hometown team on Friday night. Dickerson was pulled off the field and placed in isolation at Petco Park, and games Friday and Saturday nights were postponed.
Major League Baseball and the players' union said Sunday morning that it was determined to be a false positive.
With runners on first and second and no outs in the fifth inning of the second game, Profar executed a Butcher Boy, where he showed bunt and then swatted a single off Sam Selman (1-1) that deflected off third baseman Evan Longoria's glove and rolled into left field, bringing in rookie Jake Cronenworth with the go-ahead run. Manny Machado added a two-out RBI single .
After San Francisco's Mike Yastrzemski hit an RBI double with two outs in the second, Myers hit a solo homer with one out in the second, his 12th.
Tim Hill (3-0) pitched a perfect fifth for the win. Trevor Rosenthal pitched the seventh for his 10th save in as many chances.
Giants starter Logan Webb held the Padres to one run and four hits in four innings. San Diego's Garrett Richards, coming off his best start of the season, allowed one run and two hits and left with two outs in the fourth and the score tied at one.
Clevinger said he didn't have a good session warming up, but then he came out and struck out leadoff batter Yastrzemski on a 98 mph fastball.
"Surprisingly enough, that's usually how it works when your bullpen's not good," he said. "I had a not-so-excellent bullpen before this day and the second I'm on the mound, I felt like everything was there.
"I felt like I got in a good rhythm," said Clevinger, who was making his third start since coming over from Cleveland in a blockbuster trade on Aug. 31. "This was kind of the the first time I was on back-to-back five-day schedules in a while so it was good to feel that pattern. It's easier to find my patterns and my delivery by staying on routine."
Clevinger (3-2) struck out seven and walked one in seven innings for his second career complete game.
Manager Jayce Tingler said Clevinger's performance "was really good from the first pitch all the way through. He did a good job fielding his position, which helped as well, at least twice, and had the defense engaged because of his quick tempo working and just pounding the zone."
Dickerson said the news of the positive test "came as a complete shock and at no point did I ever think it was real." Dickerson had a half-dozen more tests and, despite an emotional and physical ordeal, was back on the field Sunday, getting the first hit off Clevinger in the first inning.
Garcia hit a two-run single in the second inning and Myers had his two-run base hit in the third. The Padres added two unearned runs in the sixth.
Cueto allowed six runs, four earned, and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings, struck out two and walked three.
MLB hasn't said when the other postponed game will be made up. The Padres finish the season with games at San Francisco Sept. 25-27.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Giants: Placed RHP Trevor Gott on the 10-day injured list with inflammation in his pitching elbow. The move is retroactive to Thursday. Manager Gabe Kapler expects him to return this season. ... Kevin Gausman was scratched from the Game 2 start because of elbow tightness. Gausman experienced the elbow issue playing catch a few days ago and will undergo an MRI exam.
Padres: Placed RHP Javy Guerra on the 10-day IL and recalled RHP Taylor Williams from the alternate training site.
ROSTER MOVES
The Giants added IF Daniel Robertson as the 29th player for the doubleheader and recalled RHP Rico Garcia from their Sacramento alternate site. The Padres added LHP Joey Lucchesi as their 29th man.
UP NEXT
UP NEXT
Giants: Haven't named starter for Tuesday night's opener of a two-game series at Seattle.
Padres: RHP Dinelson Lamet (2-1, 2.24) is scheduled to start Monday night's opener of a three-game home series against the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers, who will counter with LHP Clayton Kershaw (5-1, 1.98)