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Tomko pitches Padres past Giants

Sep 16, 2007 - 6:09 AM By Tim Powers PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- Brett Tomko outdueled Matt Cain and the San Diego Padres improved their standing in the playoff hunt with a 6-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday.

The win moved San Diego (80-67) within two games of first-place Arizona (83-66) in the National League West and maintained its 1 1/2 game lead over Philadelphia (79-69) and Los Angeles (79-69) in the wild card standings.

Mike Cameron belted a two-run home run as the Padres continued a season-long domination of the Giants, improving to 11-3 against their division rival, including seven straight victories.

"The atmosphere is a little more relaxed (against San Francisco)," Cameron said. "But it's the importance of trying to win ballgames right now that makes it a little different. And when you get on a little roll, you like to keep it."

Tomko (3-11), who was released by Los Angeles and signed by San Diego earlier this month, rewarded the Padres for the move in his first start with the team.

The 34-year-old righthander entered the game with a 2-9 record and 5.56 ERA as a starter this season, but shut the Giants out for six innings. He allowed four hits and struck out six without walking a batter.

"It's nice to kind of go out there and see what you've been working on for the last couple of weeks pay off," Tomko said. "I told (the Padres) when I came into this situation, 'Whatever you guys want me to do, whether it be short relief, long relief, spot starting, whatever you want me to do, I'm here to help you guys win and get into the playoffs.' It was a nice feeling to kind of know you helped out."

San Diego reliever Doug Brocail loaded the bases in the seventh before Joe Thatcher squelched the scoring threat by inducing a double-play ground ball from pinch hitter Guillermo Rodriguez to preserve a 1-0 lead.

Heath Bell worked around a leadoff walk to contribute a scoreless eighth before Justin Hampson worked the ninth to give San Diego its major-league best 19th shutout of the season - tying the franchise record.

San Francisco never mounted a serious scoring threat against Tomko, as only one baserunner reached second base for the Giants.

"(Tomko) pitched well," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "He put nothing but zeroes up there. That's a good job. It doesn't get any easier against the back end of their bullpen."

The lack of offense spoiled a brilliant outing by Cain (7-15), who gave up a run on just one hit. It was a familiar result for the 22-year-old righthander as the Giants have scored two runs or less in 20 of his 30 outings, including a loss in this same ballpark on April 6 in which Cain took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, but ended up taking the loss in a 1-0 defeat.

"It's shame we couldn't get him a run or two," Bochy said. "You look at some of the games he has thrown and you can't help but feel for the kid. He had great stuff tonight."

"(Cain has) been tough on us every time," Cameron said. "We don't really get too much off of him. The guy has got good stuff, he just hasn't had a whole lot of run support to work with every time. That's the way it is some times. He's got good stuff, though. He is legit."

Adrian Gonzalez managed the only hit against Cain, a leadoff triple in the second during which left fielder Barry Bonds was injured while attempting a jumping catch at the wall. Gonzalez later scored on a sacrifice and Bonds left the game an inning later with a sprained right toe.

"X-rays were negative," Bochy said of Bonds' injury. "It's a sprained big toe. He's pretty sore. It's more than likely (he will miss) 2-3 days."

Pedro Feliz had two hits for the Giants, who have lost three straight and four of five.