May 19, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija (29) pitches against the San Diego Padres during the first inning at Petco Park. Photo Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
SAN DIEGO — Jeff Samardzija delivered another dominating pitching performance as the San Francisco Giants defeated the San Diego Padres 3-1 on Thursday to complete a three-game sweep.
Samardzija (6-2) went eight innings and was charged with a run on three hits as the Giants won their season-high eighth straight game. He struck out eight and retired the final 19 Padres he faced.
His showing, which gave San Francisco its 10th win in 13 games, came on the heels of complete-game victories by Madison Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto.
The triumph capped a 7-0 road trip for the first-place Giants, as they return home to face the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs on Friday. Santiago Casilla pitched the ninth for his 10th save.
Joe Panik, who entered the game in a 0-for-15 skid, had four hits for the Giants.
James Shields (2-6) lost for the second time in three starts, surrendering three runs on nine hits and a walk in 6 2/3 innings. He recorded seven strikeouts.
The Padres, who’ve dropped four straight and five of six, had three runs in the series.
Brandon Crawford, who had five RBIs on Tuesday, belted his sixth homer of the year to open the seventh. He redirected Shields’ 87 mph cutter for a 3-1 San Francisco cushion. Shields escaped trouble in the sixth when it looked as if the Giants were going to add to their lead.
Panik opened with his third hit — a single — and stole second. After Matt Duffy struck out, Buster Posey hit a line drive to left field that Melvin Upton Jr. squared up. But the ball bounced off his glove as Posey was awarded a single when it was determined Upton lost the ball in the lights.
With runners on the corners, Shields got Brandon Belt to fly out and Hunter Pence on a fielder’s choice to keep it a one-run game.
San Diego’s Matt Kemp, who threw out a runner earlier in the game, had a two-base error in the fourth when Duffy’s fly ball ricocheted off his glove. It was a costly mistake as Pence, whose two-run homer won Wednesday’s game, delivered a broken-bat single up the middle to score Duffy for a 2-1 Giants edge.
San Diego tied the game at 1 in the second, thanks to the return of their spark plug.
Alexei Amarista, the 5-foot-6 second baseman who was activated from the disabled list Wednesday, came up with a big hit. His two-out double down the right-field line scored Christian Bethancourt, after he started the inning with a single. Shields struck out to strand Amarista.
The Giants struck fast, taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
Shields walked leadoff batter Dernard Span and paid for it. After advancing to third on Panik’s single and Duffy’s swinging bunt, Posey’s sacrifice fly chased in Span. The run nearly didn’t count as Kemp’s throw cut down Panik trying to advance to third for the third out, just after Span touched the plate.
NOTES: Padres CF Jon Jay was back atop the lineup after not starting since injuring his shoulder on Friday in Milwaukee and went 2-for-4. … Melvin Upton Jr. was elevated to the second spot in the order. … 3B Yangervis Solarte (hamstring) is playing in Triple-A El Paso on a rehab assignment. … Giants manager Bruce Bochy is keeping 3B Matt Duffy and 2B Joe Panik in their usual lineup spots, despite both of them struggling. They were a combined 0-for-31 before the game. … RHP Jeff Samardzija hadn’t pitched in Petco Park since Aug. 24, 2013.
