Blanco Pinch-Hit Triple Leads Giants Over Padres 4-2
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS/AP) -- Gregor Blanco had a pinch hit, two-run triple in the seventh inning, leading the San Francisco Giants to a 4-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday.
Brandon Belt and Marco Scutaro also drove in runs as the Giants won their second straight following a three-game slide. Scutaro and Hunter Pence each had two hits.
Will Venable and Jesus Guzman each hit home runs for the Padres, who have lost two straight after a seven-game winning streak.
Madison Bumgarner (7-4) won his third straight start after allowing two runs and three hits over seven innings. He walked four and struck out eight.
Padres starter Eric Stults gave up two runs and seven hits over 6 1-3 innings. He walked two and struck out three.
Luke Gregerson (4-3) did not retire a batter, giving up two runs and four hits. He took over for Stults after Tony Abreu singled with one out in the seventh.
Pinch-hitter Hector Sanchez also singled ahead of Blanco's triple, which one-hopped the fence in right-center field. Scutaro followed with an RBI single and Buster Posey singled before Tyson Ross came on to strike out Pence and Joaquin Arias. He also struck out the side in the eighth.
Jake Dunning pitched the eighth and Sergio Romo worked the ninth for his 18th save in 21 chances.
The benches cleared briefly in the second inning when Guzman took a few steps toward the mound after a pitch from Bumgarner sailed behind his back.
Venable hit his 10th home run of the season, a solo shot leading off the third to put the Padres ahead.
The Giants tied it with a run in the fourth. Belt's looping fly ball down the left field line fell just out of the reach of the charging Kyle Blanks, allowing Pence to score from third.
Guzman led off the seventh with his third home run of the season and second in two games. He's a .304 career hitter against left-handers and .429 (12 for 28) against Bumgarner.
Guzman, who made his major league debut with the Giants against the Padres, has hit four home runs in San Francisco, second only to eight in San Diego. He has no more than one in any other ballpark.
NOTES: The Padres put INF Everth Cabrera on the DL with a left hamstring injury and recalled OF Jaff Decker from Triple-A Tucson. ... San Diego OF Carlos Quentin was not in the starting lineup for the fifth straight game. ... Guzman hit home runs in consecutive games for the first time in his career. ... Stults has pitched into the seventh inning in each of his last seven starts after doing so three times in his first eight. ... RHP Jason Marquis (9-2, 3.63) goes for the Padres when they open a four-game series at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday. Marquis is working on an eight-game winning streak that dates to April 28. ... RHP Chad Gaudin (2-1, 2.83) makes his fourth start of the season for the Giants Thursday, when the Miami Marlins visit to open a four-game series. Gaudin has not beaten the Marlins in three career starts. ... Giants INF Brandon Crawford will likely miss two games as a result of swelling in two fingers on his right hand. ... Giants OF Angel Pagan is scheduled to start a rehab assignment with San Jose on Thursday. Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Pagan could return as soon as this weekend. ... San Francisco INF Pablo Sandoval will join San Jose on a rehab assignment on Saturday and could join the Giants in Los Angeles on Monday night. ... The Giants, with 41,866 in attendance, recorded their 200th consecutive sellout.
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