SAN DIEGO: The San Francisco Giants fought back to record an 8-7 road win against the San Diego Padres on Saturday and maintain their slim lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers in a tight National League West.
Los Angeles (66-55) earlier took down the Atlanta Braves 6-2 before the Giants rallied from 4-1 down against the Padres in San Diego to claim the win and stay half-a-game ahead.
The Padres (52-70) fans sensed a potential upset when Chase Headley powered his 20th home run of the season, a three-run shot in the bottom of the third, to set up a 4-1 lead, but four runs in the fifth for the Giants put paid to their hopes.
Marco Scutaro, Pablo Sandoval, Hunter Pence and Joaquin Arias all helped men home for the Giants in a momentum-shifting fifth inning.
“The fifth inning didn’t have the results I wanted to,” Padres pitcher Stults said.
“I put a couple pitches right where I wanted to, and they were able to barrel it up.
“You can’t make them hit it at people sometimes, but overall, I was able to keep us in the game.”
Carlos Quentin homered for the home side in the sixth to tie things up at 5-5, but Buster Posey drove in Scutaro with a sacrifice fly and Arias drove Sandoval home with a timely single in the seventh to regain the lead for the Giants.
Posey and Pence then struck back-to-back doubles in the ninth to stretch the lead to 8-5.
The Padres almost pulled the game from the fire with two runs in the bottom of the ninth when down to their last out but fell just short.
“It was a tie game at five with three innings to go. We had the go-ahead run at the plate, the tying run at first in the ninth. Our guys fought back,” Padres manager Bud Black said.
The Giants start a three-game series against the Dodgers on Monday but are not thinking playoffs just yet.
“It’s early,” Sandoval said. “We’ve got a lot of baseball coming up.”
Reds’ rally stalls in 9-7 loss to Cubs
Reds 5 Cubs 3
Cubs 9 Reds 7: In Cincinnati, Ryan Ludwick and the Cincinnati Reds put together an impressive rally as they tried for a doubleheader sweep against the lowly Chicago Cubs.
It just fizzled at the very end.
Johnny Cueto pitched eight crisp innings to lead Cincinnati to a 5-3 victory in the opener on Saturday, but Brett Jackson and David DeJesus homered to help the Cubs hold on for a 9-7 victory in the second game.
Ludwick went deep twice and drove in three runs in the nightcap for the Reds, who had won seven of eight. Ludwick’s fourth multihomer game of the season left him tied with Jay Bruce for the team lead with 25 homers on the year.
“It’s tough to sweep a doubleheader,” Ludwick said. “We had opportunities. They came out and scored a big run at the end. Our backs were against the wall, but we scratched and clawed and fought and gave ourselves a chance.”
Cubs manager Dale Sveum was relieved after the second game.
“It’s nice to come out with one,” he said. “That Reds team battles. They battle with two strikes and never give in. That’s why they’re in first place.”
The NL Central-leading Reds came out of the doubleheader with a 6 1/2-game lead over second-place Pittsburgh, but manager Dusty Baker was looking for more.
“Everybody knows it’s tough to win a DH, no matter who you play,” Baker said. “We had action, but they held us off. It’s tough to come back when you’re trading runs.”
Jackson hit his first career home run to help Brooks Raley earn his first major league win, and Starlin Castro had three hits and two RBIs as the Cubs rebounded after losing the first two in the four-game weekend series. DeJesus added his fifth home run of the season in the ninth.
Raley (1-2) gave up four runs, three earned, and five hits in 5 1-3 innings.
“I’m fired up right now,” he said. “I’ve got the game ball, and that’s awesome, too.”
The Reds won the opener behind Cueto, who allowed two runs and three hits. Todd Frazier also had a go-ahead homer for the second straight game.
The Cubs jumped all over Todd Redmond (0-1) in the nightcap. Redmond (0-1) gave up four runs and seven hits in 3 1-3 innings in his major league debut. He struck out two and walked five.
Redmond was the sixth pitcher to start for Cincinnati this season. The Reds used the same five starters for the first 120 games, a modern franchise record and a key reason for their surge to the top of the Central.
Jackson sparked the Cubs’ 13-hit attack with a drive into visitors’ bullpen down the right-field line on a 1-1 pitch in the second, making it 1-0.
“It feels good to cross that off my list,” Jackson said.
Giants edge Padres to stay top in tight division
