SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Pinch-hitter Ty France delivered a two-run triple in the seventh inning to put San Diego ahead to stay as the Padres picked up a 5-1 win over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday.
The Giants, who’ve lost eight of their past nine games, managed only three hits and struck out 13 times.
It was a 1-1 game after six innings. Fernando Tatis Jr. led off the seventh and reached on a fielding error by third baseman Matt Chapman.
Keaton Winn then replaced starter Adrian Houser (0-4). After a walk, groundout and pop-out left runners at second and third with two outs, lefty Matt Gage replaced Winn, and France pinch-hit for Sung-Mun Song.
France hit a drive down the right-field line that Jesús Rodríguez got to but could not grab. It got past the rookie and became a two-run triple for France. Rodríguez, normally a catcher, was making his major league outfield debut.
Houser put together his best performance in seven starts with San Francisco. He gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits in six-plus innings.
The lone earned run came in the fourth inning on Gavin Sheets’ fifth homer of the season.
Xander Bogaerts tagged reliever Ryan Walker for a two-run homer to left in the eighth inning, making it 5-1. It was Bogaerts’ team-leading seventh home run of the season.
San Diego’s Matt Waldron (1-1) entered the game to begin the second inning. He held the Giants to a run on two hits in five innings and struck out seven.
San Francisco’s run came on an opposite-field homer by Rafael Devers, his third HR of the season and first since April 8.
Up next
The Padres return to San Diego and will have RHP Michael King (3-2, 2.95 ERA) face St. Louis LHP Matthew Liberatore (1-1, 4.50) on Thursday night.
The Giants host Pittsburgh on Friday night.
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