Padres back Chacin with homers vs. Giants

Padres back Chacin with homers vs. Giants

July 21st, 2017

SAN FRANCISCO -- Helped by ample offensive support, right-hander defeated San Francisco for the third time this season as the Padres ended a three-game losing streak Thursday with a 5-2 triumph over and the Giants.
Chacin (9-7) improved to 8-6 lifetime against the Giants, including 4-1 at AT&T Park, which prompted Giants manager Bruce Bochy to pay him the ultimate compliment.
"I think next to [Dodgers ace Clayton] Kershaw, I don't know who's tougher on us," Bochy said.
Chacin, who allowed two runs on four hits over six innings, has started three games opposite Bumgarner. The Padres have won all three. He blanked the Giants until they scored twice in the sixth to forge a 2-2 tie. That deadlock lasted only briefly, as clobbered a two-run homer in the seventh. It was his first hit in nine career at-bats against Bumgarner, and his first home run at AT&T Park.

"I reached a few goals today," Spangenberg said. "He provided the power. I didn't try to do too much with it. It just went."
It went 428 feet to be exact, the longest homer Statcast™ has projected by a left-handed hitter against Bumgarner. It complemented 's two-run, second-inning homer for San Diego -- in Renfroe's first at-bat since returning from the disabled list with a neck strain.

Bumgarner (0-4), who also surrendered a pair of homers at San Diego on Saturday, allowed multiple long balls in back-to-back outings within the same season for the first time in his career. In two starts since being activated from the disabled list, all seven runs he allowed in 13 1/3 innings have resulted from home runs.
"I got to stop giving up home runs. That's not going to work," Bumgarner said. "... I felt much better than the box score says. That's what's most frustrating."
This was Bumgarner's first home start since April 13, one week before he sidelined himself for nearly three months with injuries he sustained in a dirt-bike accident.
Meanwhile, the Padres maintained a balanced effort while defeating the Giants for the 15th time in their last 20 meetings.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Putting away Posey: The Giants had the right man in the right spot: batting with the bases loaded and two out in the eighth inning. Wednesday, he delivered a two-run, pinch-hit double that lifted the Giants past Cleveland, 5-4. This time, however, Padres reliever Brad Hand coaxed a harmless fly to right field from Posey. Hand has not allowed a run in his last 14 1/3 innings, spanning 14 appearances, since June 14.
"With Brad Hand, you're so used to the 1-2-3 inning that an inning that involves hits and walks, you're kind of shocked by it," said Padres manager Andy Green. "But he's been great all season long."

Nunez nabbed: performed aggressively but unluckily in the Giants' half of the sixth. After singling to score with the inning's second run, Nunez broke for third base and appeared to have it stolen. But the momentum of his headfirst slide carried his left leg off the bag, enabling Spangenberg to tag him out and mute the rally.
"Nunez had that base stolen," Bochy said. "He just came off it. … Bad break there coming off the bag."

QUOTABLE
"I have faced Bumgarner a lot, especially this year. When you pitch against him, you really have to make pitches, keep your team there, because he's never going to give up." -- Chacin
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
With , Hand and pitching the seventh, eighth and ninth, respectively, the Padres haven't had a starter go six innings since June 23 against Detroit.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW
San Diego's appeared to put himself in scoring position in the fourth inning by singling with two outs and stealing second base. But the Giants received a break when the call was overturned and Aybar was declared out following a video review.

Giants right-hander picked off Spangenberg in the ninth when the San Diego third baseman strayed too far off first base. applied the tag before Spangenberg dove back. The Padres challenged the play, but a review concluded the call would stand.

WHAT'S NEXT
Padres:, a prime trade candidate, starts Friday in San Francisco with first pitch slated for 7:15 p.m. PT. The veteran right-hander has upped his curveball usage this year, to great success. His 30 percent strikeout rate is easily a career high.
Giants: Right-hander Jeff Samardzija, who owns a 7-3 record with a 3.68 ERA in 14 career appearances (12 starts) against San Diego, will start Friday's rematch beginning at 7:15 p.m. PT. Samardzija (4-11) became the first Giants pitcher to lose at least 10 games before the All-Star break since in 2012.
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