But nothing is a sure thing with Giants closer Santiago Casilla, who had four blown saves on the season entering the night. The Giants are on pace to win 102 games. Catcher Buster Posey had blasted a solo shot in the top half to take a 6-5 lead against their division foes the San Diego Padres. With men on first and third and nobody out, Casilla set for his first pitch to Alexei Ramirez, but after checking the runners appeared to get his front foot caught in the mound, which made him stagger and force a low throw. But in the end they went home happy. He hit a solo home run in the second inning and an RBI triple in the third inning, the first triple of the Major League Baseball career.
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And it was a reminder: for all the clamor over acquiring a reliever prior to the trade deadline, the Giants (57-35) already have a late-inning pitcher in the fold who has proven himself in the most high-leverage situation imaginable.
The Giants narrowed the lead in the top of the second when Angel Pagan hit a two-run bomb off Luis Perdomo, but the Padres got those runs back in short order. Suarez got Solarte to hit a ground ball to first base, and Brandon Belt threw to the plate to start a rundown.
“You can’t start taking it for granted or get comfortable, because there’s a couple teams that will give a run for it”, Bumgarner said. Jankowski jogged home as Posey hopped in the air and let out a full-body heave in apparent disgust.
If all went well in Matt Cain’s rehab start he was expected to join the San Francisco club in Boston next week.
Pinch-hitter Mac Williamson and Ramiro Pena homered off Carlos Villanueva to tie the game at 5 in the sixth.
In the fourth inning Friday, shortly after Bumgarner gave up a home run to Adam Rosales, he had words for Travis Jankowski.
Bumgarner got darn close against the Padres a year ago, retiring 23 consecutive batters before Melvin Upton Jr. whistled a single with two outs in the eighth. A couple of balls left the ballpark. He struck out nine and walked one.
There are some bad ways to lose a baseball game and then there’s this..
Padres: Green said INF Cory Spangenberg likely won’t return this season after re-tearing his left quadriceps. The nine strikeouts was a season high for Cashner.Bumgarner (10-5) allowed four runs, seven hits and a walk with nine strikeouts in six innings.
Bumgarner (11-4), also an All-Star, didn’t appear Tuesday in the Midsummer Classic at Petco Park because he pitched on Sunday, throwing a one-hitter and striking out 14 in a 4-0 victory over Arizona. He allowed three runs on two homers in 1 2/3 innings to take the loss in the All-Star Game. It also prevents Cueto from pitching on less-than-regular rest after the All-Star game.
Reigning World Series champions the Kansas City Royals defeated the Detroit Tigers 8-4, the Milwaukee Brewers eased past the Cincinnati Reds 9-1, the Los Angeles Dodgers lost 2-1 to the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Baltimore Orioles edged the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 and the Philadelphia Phillies were too good for the New York Mets 4-2. His last start was for the Chicago Cubs in 2014.
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Padres: RHP Edwin Jackson, who hasn’t started in two years, will be promoted from Triple-A El Paso to start Sunday.
