SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Joey Lucchesi got a vote of confidence from his manager in a key situation, and it made all the difference.
Wil Myers homered, Manny Machado was 2 for 3 with a triple and Lucchesi pitched six strong innings as the San Diego Padres defeated the San Francisco Giants 4-1 on Saturday night.
After the Giants loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the sixth in a 1-1 game on two hits and a walk, Lucchesi assumed his night was over when manager Andy Green walked out to the mound.
“I handed him the ball and he said ’no, keep this. You’re going to get out of this, we believe in you,’ ” Lucchesi said.
“I was like, ’hell yeah Andy, thanks.’. . Then I just went after it.”
Lucchesi got Giants rookie Mauricio Dubón to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Machado tripled off reliever Tony Watson (2-2) to lead off the eighth inning. Josh Naylor singled through the left side of a drawn-in infield off Watson, scoring Machado with one out to break a 1-1 tie.
Myers hit a two-run homer off Will Smith in the ninth to make the score 4-1.
Craig Stammen (7-6) pitched two shutout innings for the Padres, who have won two of three after losing six of eight.
Austin Slater homered for the Giants, who have lost four of their last five games and eight of 11.
Padres closer Kirby Yates worked the ninth for his 39th save in 42 chances.
Lucchesi gave up a run on eight hits and a walk in his team-leading 26th start. The lefty, who played high school ball locally in the Oakland suburbs, was making his third start at Oracle Park. He was 0-2 with an 8.10 ERA in his previous two starts.
Slater homered to center in the first. His fifth home run came on an 0-2 sinker Lucchesi left up in the zone.
The Padres tied the game in the sixth off Giants starter Logan Webb when Manuel Margot followed Naylor’s two-out double to left with a run-scoring single to center.
Webb gave up one run in 5 2/3 innings on seven hits and one walk in his third career start and first in San Francisco. The 22-year-old rookie righty struck out seven.
MORONTA HURT
Reyes Moronta left the game with an acute shoulder strain. Moronta fell off the mound, dropping to the grass after throwing a 98 mph fastball to Luis Urias on his third pitch. He rolled on the ground in pain. Moronta will undergo an MRI on Sunday, manager Bruce Bochy said.
“”There’s no question there’s concern. We have to wait for the results though,” Bochy said. “It’s a tough break for Reyes. He’s one of our guys and I’m sure he’s going to be down for a while.”
GIANT NEMESIS
Myers’ homer was his fifth against the Giants this year and ninth in 125 career at-bats at Oracle.
“This isn’t some hitter haven, but he’s always had a ton of success here,” Green said. “Every time he’s here he seems to do something pretty special.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Giants: INF Pablo Sandoval (right elbow inflammation) felt good after taking batting practice on Friday and could be activated on Sunday to be used as a pinch-hitter, manager Bruce Bochy said. The 2012 World Series MVP will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery in Los Angeles on Wednesday. … RHP Johnny Cueto threw 75 pitches in his sixth rehab for Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday. He could join the Giants rotation within a week, Bochy said.
UP NEXT
LHP Eric Lauer (7-8, 4.48 ERA) will pitch Sunday’s series finale for San Diego. Lauer is 2-0 with a 4.32 ERA in August. RHP Jeff Samardzija (9-10, 3.38) will pitch on regular rest in place of RHP Tyler Beede, whose start was pushed back. Samardzija is 5-3 with a 1.99 ERA over his last 11 starts. Beede will pitch Monday in St. Louis.
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