Pagan’s double in ninth lifts Giants past Padres

Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO — Angel Pagan hoped he would be in the batter’s box with a chance to win the game. And, in this case, an opportunity to give the World Series champions some much-needed momentum.

He came through by lining a game-ending double to right field with one out in the ninth inning, and the San Francisco Giants returned from a rough road trip to beat the San Diego Padres 3-2 on Friday night.

Santiago Casilla (2-1) struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth for the win. Shortstop Brandon Crawford made a great pickup on Jesus Guzman’s grounder for the second out.

Luke Gregerson (1-2) gave up Gregor Blanco’s leadoff bloop single to shallow left to start the rally, then pinch-hitter Andres Torres reached on a fielder’s choice after an unsuccessful sacrifice bunt attempt and stole second before coming home on Pagan’s hit. It was Pagan’s first game-winning hit since last July 1 against the Reds — also a double.

“It’s one of those situations you want to be the guy,” Pagan said. “I wanted to be in that situation. I wanted to get the hit. We needed that win after getting swept in Milwaukee.”

Blanco wound up with three hits, Pagan and Brandon Belt with two apiece, and San Francisco had its speedsters together for the winning push.

Hurt by some bad luck on hard-hit balls during the road trip, Blanco vowed to do anything he could to get on base in the ninth.

“Back in Milwaukee I hit the ball several times hard, and today I got two hits with half-swings,” he said. “I don’t really practice it to tell you the truth. I just try to use my speed.”

So did Torres with the heads-up steal.

“It was huge,” Pagan said.

Madison Bumgarner struck out a season high 10 and Hunter Pence hit an RBI double for the Giants. Bumgarner struck out 10 or more batters for the ninth time in his career.

Chase Headley hit a tying, two-out homer in the sixth just over leaping left fielder Blanco. The tying run kept Bumgarner from becoming the first Giants pitcher to win his first four starts since Tim Lincecum in 2010.

After San Diego hit three home runs Wednesday against Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, Headley’s first clout of 2013 gave the Padres home runs in eight of their last nine games. But San Diego had its three-game winning streak snapped on a night it nearly turned a triple play on Bumgarner’s double-play grounder in the sixth but the pitcher reached first.

“For a moment I thought it might work,” Padres manager Bud Black said. “But Bumgarner gets down the line pretty good.”

Headley also had a first-inning sacrifice fly for San Diego. Buster Posey then added one of his own in the bottom half to tie the game at 1.

Pence’s third-inning double scored Posey for the Giants’ first lead in 27 innings since their previous advantage in the third inning at Milwaukee on Tuesday. The Giants were swept by the Brewers for a season-high three-game skid.

Thousands of fans in the sellout crowd of 41,559 at AT&T Park were late arrivals on fireworks night because of long lines and extra security that included the use of electronic scanning wands.

In the eighth inning, they were treated to “Sweet Caroline” as a tribute to Boston. An American flag waved, and several fans sported Red Sox shirts.

“That’s touching, it is, with what’s happened there in Boston,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “We are certainly thinking of the victims there. It’s a tragedy. It’s nice to honor Boston and their courage.”

Padres starter Edinson Volquez, the winning pitcher in the semifinals for the World Baseball Classic champion Dominican Republic here last month, allowed two runs in six innings and remained winless in four starts.

Guzman doubled and singled for San Diego, but the Padres’ lineup that had previously had success against Bumgarner got shut down. San Diego’s active position players came into Friday batting .290 (38 for 131) with 12 doubles, two triples, five homers and 21 RBIs against the left-hander.

Five of the last six Padres losses have been by two or fewer runs and three of those were decided by one run — including three straight.

Crawford went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts to have a career-best 11-game hitting streak snapped along with a 14-game stretch of reaching base safely.

A moment of silence was held both for the Boston victims and the wife of Hall of Famer Willie Mays, Mae Louise Allen Mays, who died in her sleep Friday morning at age 74 following a long fight with Alzheimer’s disease.

METS 7, NATIONALS 1

NEW YORK — Matt Harvey outpitched Stephen Strasburg in a marquee matchup of young aces, escaping a late bases-loaded jam while the crowd chanted his name.

Ike Davis and Lucas Duda each hit two home runs, providing an ample cushion for Harvey and the Mets to end their three-game skid.

Harvey (4-0) gave up one run and four hits in seven innings, striking out seven.

Davis and Duda hit solo home runs in the sixth — the first time Strasburg (1-3) ever had been tagged twice in an inning.

Davis added a two-run homer in the eighth and Duda hit a solo drive off Drew Storen.

Strasburg allowed four runs, two unearned, and five hits in six innings. He fanned six.

BREWERS 5, CUBS 4

MILWAUKEE — Ryan Braun hit a three-run homer, and Jean Segura produced some bizarre baserunning in the Brewers’ win over the Cubs.

Segura somehow wound up safe at first base after attempting to steal third, only to later be thrown out attempting to steal second base again.

Segura led off the eighth inning with a single and stole second before Braun walked. The two attempted a double steal, but Shawn Camp didn’t deliver a pitch. Instead, he threw to third well ahead of Segura, who turned and went back to second. Braun was there, and shortstop Luis Valbuena tagged both runners as they stood on the bag.

The rules say only the trailing runner is out in that case, but Segura trotted back toward first base and the home dugout, then appeared to realize what had happened and sped into the unoccupied base.

He later attempted a straight steal of second, but Cubs catcher Welington Castillo threw him out.

It didn’t matter, though, because Braun went deep against Jeff Samardzija (1-3) and Anthony Rizzo hit his fifth homer of the year for the Cubs, who never trailed.

Milwaukee starter Marco Estrada (2-0) pitched out of trouble in his six innings.

PIRATES 6, BRAVES 0

PITTSBURGH — Wandy Rodriguez faced the minimum while throwing seven innings of one-hit ball to outpitch Tim Hudson and help the Pirates beat the Braves.

Hudson came up short in his first attempt at win No. 200.

Pedro Alvarez homered for the second consecutive game and Russell Martin, Neil Walker and Travis Snider each reached base three times for Pittsburgh, which has won seven of its past 10 after a 1-5 start.

Rodriguez (2-0) allowed only Jason Heyward’s one-out single in the fourth. Justin Upton followed by grounding into a double play.

Hudson (2-1) fell to 199-105 in his 15-year career.

PHILLIES 8, CARDINALS 2, 7 INNINGS

PHILADELPHIA — Roy Halladay tossed a two-hitter over seven innings and the Phillies beat the Cardinals in a rain-shortened game to snap a four-game losing streak.

Halladay (2-2) allowed two runs, walked two and struck out six to record a complete game. He’s had consecutive strong outings after starting the season with two poor ones.

Jimmy Rollins, Ben Revere, Humberto Quintero and John Mayberry Jr. each had two hits for the Phillies, who busted out of their slump with five runs off Jaime Garcia (1-1) in the first inning.

Carlos Beltran and Matt Holliday hit solo homers for the Cardinals.

Garcia allowed eight runs — four earned — and nine hits in three innings.

MARLINS 2, REDS 1

CINCINNATI — Justin Ruggiano hit a solo homer off Aroldis Chapman in the ninth inning sending the Marlins to a victory that snapped the Reds’ winning streak at four games.

It was a stunning moment for the Marlins, who have the worst record in the majors at 4-13 and had only four homers — fewest in the majors — when Ruggiano connected off the Reds’ spotless closer for his second homer in two games.

Chapman (2-1) hadn’t allowed a run in his eight previous appearances.

Left-hander Mike Dunn (1-0) retired the last two batters in the eighth. Steve Cishek gave up a hit in the ninth while earning the Marlins’ first save of the season.

ROCKIES 3, DIAMONDBACKS 1

DENVER — Jhoulys Chacin pitched effectively into the seventh inning and became the first Rockies starter to throw 100 pitches in a game since June before leaving with left oblique tightness, and Colorado beat the Diamondbacks.

Troy Tulowitzki hit a two-run homer and Chacin helped himself by driving in a run with a sacrifice fly as the Rockies won their seventh in row and remained unbeaten in seven home games this season.

Chacin (3-0) was seen grabbing his lower left back after throwing his fourth pitch to Arizona’s Cody Ross with one out in the seventh inning.

The last time a Colorado starter reached the century mark in pitches was June 12, a stretch of 117 games. It was the longest string in the majors since records started being kept by STATS in 1988. Before the Rockies’ streak, the longest string of starters not throwing 100 pitches in a game was held by Washington, which went 33 games from Aug. 31, 2011, to April 10, 2012.

Darvish fans 10 in Texas victory

ARLINGTON, Texas — Yu Darvish struck out 10 while allowing only three hits over seven innings for Texas, and the Rangers had their biggest inning of the season in a 7-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

In his first start in a week, and 33rd in the major leagues, Darvish (3-1) had his 10th career 10-strikeout game.

Jeff Baker put Texas up 1-0 with a two-out solo homer in the second off Joe Saunders (1-2). The Rangers added a six-run fifth, scoring twice as many runs as they had in any inning this year. The seven runs overall matched their season high.

ANGELS 8, TIGERS 1

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Peter Bourjos had three hits and three RBIs, Mike Trout and Albert Pujols drove in two runs apiece, and the Angels slowed the worst start in franchise history with a victory over Torii Hunter and the Tigers.

Pujols had three hits and Brendan Harris added an early RBI double for the Angels, who had a season-high 16 hits. Their 5-10 start still matches the 1961 expansion team’s miserable beginning.

Tommy Hanson (2-1) and four relievers combined on a rocky 10-hitter for the beleaguered Angels pitching staff.

Hunter extended his hitting streak to 12 games after receiving a standing ovation in the former Los Angeles outfielder’s first night back at Angel Stadium.

Anibal Sanchez (2-1) pitched into the seventh inning for Detroit, giving up 11 hits, but avoiding major trouble.

YANKEES 9, BLUE JAYS 4

TORONTO — Andy Pettitte pitched effectively into the eighth inning, Travis Hafner homered and had two RBIs, and the Yankees beat the Blue Jays.

Lyle Overbay and Vernon Wells also went deep against their former team as the Yankees won for the eighth time in 10 games.

Scratched from his previous scheduled start because of back spasms, Pettitte (3-0) was pitching for the first time since April 9 at Cleveland. He showed few signs of rust, however, striking out four in a row at one stretch in his 7 1-3 innings.

Jose Bautista returned to the lineup as the designated hitter after missing the previous four games and hit a two-run homer.

Brandon Morrow (0-2) remained winless in four starts, allowing seven runs, five earned, and nine hits in 5 1-3 innings.

RAYS 8, ATHLETICS 3

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Evan Longoria hit a two-run homer and Ben Zobrist had a pair of RBI singles to help Tampa Bay beat Oakland.

Jose Lobaton also drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single to back the pitching of Alex Cobb (2-1), who allowed three runs and 10 hits over 7 1-3 innings.

Brandon Moss and Jed Lowrie, who went 4 for 4, had run-scoring singles off Cobb in the first for the A’s. Starting pitcher Brett Anderson (1-3) left with an ankle injury after Tampa Bay scored four times in the bottom half of the inning.

ASTROS 3, INDIANS 2

HOUSTON — J.D. Martinez and Rick Ankiel hit back-to-back homers in the second inning and the Astros held on for a win over the Indians.

The win snaps a five-game skid for Houston and extends Cleveland’s losing streak to five.

Houston starter Lucas Harrell (1-2) allowed two runs in 5 2-3 innings before three relievers combined to shut Cleveland out the rest of the way.

Closer Jose Veras allowed one hit in the ninth for his first save in two tries.

Carlos Pena walked with one out in the second inning before Martinez got Houston’s first hit by launching a homer in the stands in right field off former Astros pitcher Brett Myers (0-3).