Padres 3, Giants 2 (11 innings)
SAN FRANCISCO -- Alexi Amarista's single off the glove of San Francisco Giants reliever Hunter Strickland scored the tiebreaking run in the 11th inning Tuesday night, giving the San Diego Padres a 3-2 victory in the opener of a three-game series.
In winning for just the third time in their last nine games, the Padres rallied from a late 2-0 deficit against Giants ace Madison Bumgarner, who recorded a career-best 14 strikeouts.
The loss denied the Giants (38-34) a chance to move into a first-place tie with the Los Angeles Dodgers (39-33) in the National League West.
Catcher Derek Norris triggered the game-winning uprising against Strickland (0-1), the sixth Giants pitcher, with a one-out double in the 11th.
He advanced to third on a single by left fielder Justin Upton, then raced home when Amarista's potential double-play grounder up the middle deflected off Strickland's glove and into short right field.
Right-hander Brandon Maurer (5-0), the fifth Padres pitcher, got the win after holding the Giants hitless in the ninth and 10th innings. Closer Craig Kimbrel pitched around a one-out walk in the 11th for his 18th save, sealing San Diego's fifth win in eight meetings with the defending World Series champs this season.
The Giants' 10th loss in their past 11 home games was decided well after Bumgarner was pulled from a 2-2 tie.
Bumgarner took a three-hit shutout and 2-0 lead into the eighth inning, but the Padres denied the Giants ace a win with a two-run uprising that was interrupted by two ejections.
Reserve center fielder Will Venable's two-run double was the big hit of the eighth inning, scoring first baseman Yonder Alonso and third baseman Will Middlebrooks and ending Bumgarner's night. It was just the left-handed-hitting Venable's fifth hit all season against a lefty pitcher.
The hit came two pitches after Padres manager Pat Murphy got thrown out for the first time in his career for arguing a check-swing strike call with plate umpire Fieldin Culbreth. San Diego right fielder Matt Kemp also got ejected when he got into it with first base umpire Jim Reynolds, who hadn't participated in the call.
Trying to get a six-game Giants homestand off to a successful start, Bumgarner got a no-decision. He allowed the two runs on five hits in 7 1/3 innings.
His 14 strikeouts, nine of which came in the first four innings, were one better than his previous career high, set twice, including once against the Padres on Sept. 5, 2011.
The reigning World Series Most Valuable Player walked just one, Alonso to open the fateful eighth.
Padres starter Odrisamer Despaigne also did not factor in the decision despite a strong effort.
The Giants nemesis, who allowed only one earned run in his previous 24 2/3 innings against San Francisco, was pulled after five innings, having allowed two runs on five hits. He walked two and struck out two.
Middlebrooks had two of San Diego's eight hits. The Padres out-hit the Giants 8-7.
The Giants' runs against Despaigne came in the fifth, an inning that featured doubles by third baseman Matt Duffy and second baseman Joe Panik.
Left fielder Gregor Blanco, moved up to the leadoff spot in a lineup change made shortly before game time, had two hits and two walks and an RBI to lead the Giants' attack.
NOTES: The Padres and Giants began the three-game series having split their last 40 head-to-head matchups. ... The Padres have hit 12 home runs against Giants LHP Madison Bumgarner, the most he has allowed in his career to any foe. ... Giants LF Nori Aoki (contusion in lower right leg) was a late scratch from the Giants' starting lineup, replaced by RF Justin Maxwell, with Gregor Blanco shifting over to left field and moving from No. 8 in the lineup to leadoff. ... The Giants activated RHP Jean Machi (strained left groin) from the 15-day disabled list before the game and sent RHP Mike Broadway to Triple-A Sacramento.