Giants 13, Padres 8
SAN FRANCISCO -- First baseman Brandon Belt lashed two of the San Francisco Giants' four triples on Thursday afternoon, highlighting a 19-hit attack that produced a 13-8 victory over the San Diego Padres.
In recording the most triples the Giants have ever had in a game at AT&T Park, San Francisco posted a second consecutive win and a 2-1 series advantage over its National League West rivals.
Right-hander Chris Heston pitched seven innings for his eighth win, tops among NL rookies, helping the Giants finish their first set of back-to-back victories at home since May 28-29 and cap their first series win at home since May 19-21 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Belt, who had just one triple in the Giants' first 73 games, connected on consecutive at-bats for near-identical liners into AT&T Park's so-called "triples alley" in right-center field.
The first scored second baseman Joe Panik and capped a two-run first inning against Padres starter James Shields. The second came with one out in the fourth and triggered a three-run uprising that increased the San Francisco lead to 5-0.
Third baseman Matt Duffy led off a two-run fifth with a triple and shortstop Brandon Crawford contributed an RBI triple to a two-run seventh inning as the Giants built 7-0 and 9-2 leads before holding on.
Right fielder Matt Kemp belted a two-run homer, his fifth home run of the season, and shortstop Alexi Amarista added two run-scoring singles, helping the Padres use a two-run seventh and a six-run eighth to get within 9-8.
San Diego got the potential tying run to third base with two outs in the eighth, but pinch-hitter Clint Barmes, batting for the second time in the inning, fouled out to Belt with Padres on first and third.
The Giants tacked on four insurance runs in the last of the eighth on an RBI single by Duffy, a two-run double by catcher Buster Posey and an RBI double by Crawford.
Posey's double was his second of the game and third hit overall. He scored three runs and drove in three.
Belt and Panik also had three hits for the Giants. Crawford finished with a double, triple and two RBIs, and right fielder Gregor Blanco drove in three runs with two singles and a sacrifice fly.
In winning his second consecutive start, Heston (8-5) allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out six.
Heston also contributed to the Giants' highest scoring home effort of the season with a run-scoring single in the fourth.
Kemp, Amarista and reserve infielder Yangervis Solarte had two hits apiece for the Padres, who finished an eight-game trip to a 3-5 record. San Diego has yet to win a road series against an NL West team in seven tries this season.
Both of Solarte's hits came in a pinch-hitting capacity in the six-run eighth. He led off the inning with a double and later got the Padres within one with an RBI single.
The Padres finished with 12 hits.
Shields (7-2) took the loss, allowing nine hits and a season-worst seven runs in four innings. He walked two and struck out seven.
NOTES: Padres RHP James Shields batted eighth, the first time in his career he has hit anywhere other than ninth. Shields entered the game with a .206 average this season, which was better than the Padres' No. 7 hitter, C Austin Hedges (.114). ... Giants manager Bruce Bochy disclosed he met with his starting staff before the game and gave everyone a heads-up on pending changes when injured RHP Matt Cain (strained flexor tendon in right arm) and RHP Jake Peavy (strained back) make expected returns in early July. The current plan is to demote RHP Tim Lincecum to the bullpen and place RHP Tim Hudson on the disabled list. ... Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred attended the game and told reporters that a second replay center is in the plans. It would be located in San Francisco. The current one is in New York.