Giants 1 - 3 Padres
Final
  for this game

Padres shut down Giants once more

Apr 20, 2014 - 5:15 AM San Diego, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Eric Stults tossed six solid innings and Chris Denorfia came up with a key late RBI, as San Diego slipped past San Francisco, 3-1, in the middle test of a three-game series.

Everth Cabrera hit a run-scoring triple and Yonder Alonso drove in the other run for the Padres, who have taken the first two in the set and have won seven of 10 overall.

Stults (1-2) allowed a run on three hits to best Tim Hudson (2-1), who gave up eight hits and a pair of runs over seven full frames.

"Right now we're in a nice run of starting pitching," Padres manager Bud Black said. "There's been some solid work by our starters. Starting pitching is so important to a team's success. They're doing their part."

Mike Morse's fifth-inning solo shot was the only meaningful offense for the Giants, who have lost three in a row.

"The only way to get hits is to swing the bat," Morse said. "Right now, I don't think we're pressing. I don't think we are trying to do anything out of the ordinary. I just think we hit a rough spot. Our team is too good for us to be stuck in this for too much longer."

San Diego picked up a valuable insurance run in the home eighth. Will Venable began the frame against David Huff with a double, moved up on a Yasmani Grandal fly to right and scored when pinch-hitter Denorfia laid down a textbook sacrifice bunt against Jean Machi for a 3-1 margin.

Joaquin Benoit then retired the side in order to earn his first save in the National League.

In the home second, Seth Smith singled, moved up on a groundout and scored on Alonso's two-out base hit.

Morse led off the San Francisco fifth with his third homer of the season, but the Padres responded in their turn as Cabrera tripled home Alexi Amarista -- who reached via a bunt single, went to second on Hudson's errant pickoff throw and moved to third on a Stults sac bunt.

Game Notes

San Diego has won six of the last nine meetings with San Francisco since last July ... Benoit racked up 24 of his 37 American League saves for Detroit last season ... Prior to Saturday, the Giants played in eight straight one-run games for the first time since the New York Giants did so from Aug. 11-17, 1910.






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