Sandoval Blasts Two Homers In Win Over Padres
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Pablo Sandoval homered twice, lefty Madison Bumgarner struck out a career-high 13 in 8 1-3 innings and the San Francisco Giants beat the last-place San Diego Padres 7-2 on Monday to remain seven games behind the NL West-leading Arizona Diamondbacks with 21 to play.
The defending World Series champion Giants came into this three-game series with their biggest deficit of the season after losing two of three to the Diamondbacks in a weekend series. The Diamondbacks won 10-7 at Colorado on Monday.
Sandoval's 17th and 18th homers, both off Tim Stauffer (8-12), were enough to carry the Giants to just their third win in eight games. With two outs in the first, he homered into the sand play area beyond the fence in right-center on a 2-0 pitch. He led off the fourth with a shot into the right field seats on a 2-1 pitch.
The Giants have hit seven homers in their last five games after going homerless in their previous six.
It was the third time Sandoval has had two homers in a game. The first two were in 2009.
Sandoval flied out to left in his third at-bat. In his fourth at-bat, with runners on first and third, first base opened on a wild pitch by Jeff Fulchino while Sandoval was batting, and he was intentionally walked. After a forceout at home, Cody Ross hit a two-run double. Brad Brach, the third Padres reliever that inning, walked pinch-hitter Mark DeRosa with the bases loaded to run San Francisco's lead to 7-1. The Padres walked four that inning.
Sandoval struck out in the ninth inning.
Bumgarner (10-12) came within two outs of his first career complete game. He was pulled after Nick Hundley hit a solo homer with one out in the ninth, his sixth. Bumgarner held San Diego to two runs and seven hits, and walked one. It was the fourth time he struck out 10 or more, all coming this season.
Stauffer lost his third straight start. allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings, struck out one and walked one.
In his previous start, Stauffer lasted only 1 2-3 innings and had a career-high seven walks in an 8-5 loss at Dodger Stadium. Six of them were in the second inning alone, three with the bases loaded.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
