Pence, Posey Go Back-To-Back To Carry Giants Past Padres
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Hunter Pence and Buster Posey hit consecutive homers, and Johnny Cueto struck out seven in seven strong innings for the struggling San Francisco Giants, who beat the San Diego Padres 5-3 Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.
The Giants snapped a four-game losing streak. They won only twice during the season's opening week.
Pence hit a two-run homer to left field with one out in the third off Clayton Richard (1-1), and Posey followed with an opposite-field shot to right to give the Giants a 5-0 lead. It was the first time this season the Giants hit back-to-back homers.
Cueto (2-0) was working on a three-hit shutout when he walked Travis Jankowski with one out in the sixth and then allowed Wil Myers' homer into the second-floor balcony on the Western Metal Supply Co. Building in the left-field corner. It was Myers' second of the season.
Cueto held the Padres to two runs and five hits with three walks, snapping his two-game skid at Petco Park. He was the loser in the All-Star Game on July 12 after allowing home runs by Eric Hosmer and Salvador Perez, and then lost to the Padres five days later.
Mark Melancon dodged trouble in the ninth to earn his first save. It was his first appearance since blowing a save and taking the loss in a 6-5 defeat on opening day at Arizona in his Giants debut. Against San Diego, he allowed a single to Manuel Margot with one out and walked Jankowski before getting Myers to ground into a game-ending double play.
The Giants scored two runs on a crazy play in the second inning. With runners on first and second and one out, Chris Marrero singled to right to bring in Posey. Hunter Renfroe's throw was offline and hit Myers' glove before the first baseman accidentally kicked it into the Padres' dugout to allow Brandon Crawford to score. Renfroe was charged with an error.
San Diego's Yangervis Solarte greeted reliever Derek Law with a homer leading off the eighth, his second. Solarte had three hits.
Richard allowed five runs, four earned, and five hits in six innings. He was coming off a 4-0 win at the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night, when he pitched eight innings of five-hit ball and struck out five.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Padres RHP Trevor Cahill, who had been scheduled to start Monday night at Colorado, was placed on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to Thursday, with a strained lower back. The Padres recalled RHP Zach Lee from Triple-A El Paso to take his roster spot.
UP NEXT
Giants: LHP Matt Moore (0-1, 5.06 ERA) is scheduled to start the home opener Monday afternoon against RHP Taijuan Walker (1-0, 6.00) and the Arizona Diamondbacks.
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