Sunday, October 1, 2017 03:05 PM
(ET)
Giants top Padres to avoid 99-loss season
The Sports Xchange
Oct 1, 2017
SAN FRANCISCO -- Pablo Sandoval belted a season-ending home run with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning Sunday afternoon, giving the San Francisco Giants a 5-4 victory over the San Diego Padres.
The win allowed the Giants to salvage the final series from the Padres after San Diego had taken the first five this season.
In avoiding what would have been just the second 99-loss season in franchise history, the Giants (64-98) prevailed on a day right-hander Johnny Cueto might have started his final game for the team.
The veteran can opt out of the final four years of his six-year, $130 million contract in the offseason.
Cueto pitched the game's first five innings, leaving in a 4-4 tie. He did not get a decision, and finished the season 8-8.
Padres starter Luis Perdomo likewise got no decision, going seven innings.
Hunter Renfroe homered for the Padres (71-91), who nonetheless finished three games better than last season, when they were the last-place team in the National League West.
The Giants finished last in the West this season after losing 23 more games than a year ago.
Sandoval's home run came on a full count against the third Padres pitcher, right-hander Phil Maton (3-2). It was his third career walk-off homer.
Right-hander Hunter Strickland (4-3), who retired four of the five batters he faced after coming on with two outs in the eighth inning, got the win.
Brandon Crawford had two hits and Buster Posey scored twice for the Giants, who finished the season winning five of their last six home games.
Travis Jankowski had three hits and Erick Aybar two for the Padres, who won the season series over the Giants 12-7.
The Padres out-hit the Giants 12-8.
Cueto struggled to get through five innings, allowing 12 hits but just four runs. He struck out two and did not walk a batter.
The 12 hits allowed were a career high for Cueto in a start of five innings or fewer.
The Padres strung together five of those hits in the first inning, scoring twice. Yangervis Solarte singled in a run after Jankowski and Aybar had led off the game with back-to-back doubles.
Renfroe's homer, his 26th of the season, came in the third inning after the Giants had gotten back within 2-1 on Sandoval's infield out in the second.
Perdomo tripled and scored in the fourth to make it a three-run game, but the Giants got even in the bottom of the inning.
The triple was the fourth of the season for Perdomo, who became the first pitcher to record four triples in a season since Robin Roberts accomplished the feat in 1955.
Crawford doubled in a run and Jarrett Parker had an RBI single before Nick Hundley's fielder's choice brought home Crawford to tie the game at 4-4.
Perdomo retained the tie through seven innings. He allowed seven hits and one walk, striking out four.
NOTES: The Giants held an on-field ceremony for retiring RHP Matt Cain after the game. ... Padres 1B Wil Myers did not play in the game. He finished the season with six home runs at AT&T Park, tying Colorado Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado for the most by a Giants opponent in a single season in the 18-year-history of the ballpark. ... Among the Giants to get an early shower was RF Hunter Pence, whose final play was a diving catch in right-center field on a bid for extra bases by Padres RF Hunter Renfroe. Pence got up gingerly and staggered to the dugout, then left for a pinch hitter. ... Renfroe's home run was the Padres' 100th on the road this season, tied for the second-most in franchise history. The 1970 Padres hit 104.
Oct 1, 2017
SAN FRANCISCO -- Pablo Sandoval belted a season-ending home run with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning Sunday afternoon, giving the San Francisco Giants a 5-4 victory over the San Diego Padres.
The win allowed the Giants to salvage the final series from the Padres after San Diego had taken the first five this season.
In avoiding what would have been just the second 99-loss season in franchise history, the Giants (64-98) prevailed on a day right-hander Johnny Cueto might have started his final game for the team.
The veteran can opt out of the final four years of his six-year, $130 million contract in the offseason.
Cueto pitched the game's first five innings, leaving in a 4-4 tie. He did not get a decision, and finished the season 8-8.
Padres starter Luis Perdomo likewise got no decision, going seven innings.
Hunter Renfroe homered for the Padres (71-91), who nonetheless finished three games better than last season, when they were the last-place team in the National League West.
The Giants finished last in the West this season after losing 23 more games than a year ago.
Sandoval's home run came on a full count against the third Padres pitcher, right-hander Phil Maton (3-2). It was his third career walk-off homer.
Right-hander Hunter Strickland (4-3), who retired four of the five batters he faced after coming on with two outs in the eighth inning, got the win.
Brandon Crawford had two hits and Buster Posey scored twice for the Giants, who finished the season winning five of their last six home games.
Travis Jankowski had three hits and Erick Aybar two for the Padres, who won the season series over the Giants 12-7.
The Padres out-hit the Giants 12-8.
Cueto struggled to get through five innings, allowing 12 hits but just four runs. He struck out two and did not walk a batter.
The 12 hits allowed were a career high for Cueto in a start of five innings or fewer.
The Padres strung together five of those hits in the first inning, scoring twice. Yangervis Solarte singled in a run after Jankowski and Aybar had led off the game with back-to-back doubles.
Renfroe's homer, his 26th of the season, came in the third inning after the Giants had gotten back within 2-1 on Sandoval's infield out in the second.
Perdomo tripled and scored in the fourth to make it a three-run game, but the Giants got even in the bottom of the inning.
The triple was the fourth of the season for Perdomo, who became the first pitcher to record four triples in a season since Robin Roberts accomplished the feat in 1955.
Crawford doubled in a run and Jarrett Parker had an RBI single before Nick Hundley's fielder's choice brought home Crawford to tie the game at 4-4.
Perdomo retained the tie through seven innings. He allowed seven hits and one walk, striking out four.
NOTES: The Giants held an on-field ceremony for retiring RHP Matt Cain after the game. ... Padres 1B Wil Myers did not play in the game. He finished the season with six home runs at AT&T Park, tying Colorado Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado for the most by a Giants opponent in a single season in the 18-year-history of the ballpark. ... Among the Giants to get an early shower was RF Hunter Pence, whose final play was a diving catch in right-center field on a bid for extra bases by Padres RF Hunter Renfroe. Pence got up gingerly and staggered to the dugout, then left for a pinch hitter. ... Renfroe's home run was the Padres' 100th on the road this season, tied for the second-most in franchise history. The 1970 Padres hit 104.
