SAN FRANCISCO — Blake Snell allowed four hits over six shutout innings and Trent Grisham hit a two-run homer to lead the San Diego Padres to a 4-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night.
Snell (6-7) struck out eight and rebounded from a shaky start against Cleveland his last time out, when he permitted a season-high six runs. In three starts against San Francisco this season, the left-hander has held the Giants to two runs and struck out 27 over 17 2/3 innings.
The Padres extended their lead for the National League’s third wild card to three games over Milwaukee, and they pulled within a half-game of Philadelphia for the second spot.
“I think it’s just continuing that run we’re on right now,” said designated hitter Josh Bell, who drove in San Diego’s first run with a single in the sixth. “Knowing our starters are going to go six, seven innings like they normally do, we’re going to be in a good place at the end of the day.”
The floundering Giants committed four errors and lost their sixth in a row. They entered this series hoping to make up ground on San Diego, but instead have fallen 9 1/2 games back for the NL’s final postseason spot.
Logan Webb (11-8) took the loss despite allowing just an unearned run over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked one.
PHOTOS: Snell's strong outing, Grisham's HR lead Padres past Giants
“We haven’t played good baseball for quite a bit now,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. “We have to play better. I haven’t had a chance to look at the standings. It’s not something that’s front of mind right now, and mostly because it just really doesn’t matter. We just have to play better baseball.”
Snell saved his best for his last inning. San Francisco had a runner on second with one out in the sixth, trailing 1-0. But he struck out Thairo Estrada on a nasty slider, then blew a 96 mph fastball by Brandon Crawford to end the threat on his 105th and final pitch.
“I was really happy the way I started those at-bats, what I put in the hitters’ heads, and how we finished them,” Snell said. “I was excited about that. I think the fastball was the main reason why I had a lot of success tonight.”
San Diego extended its lead to 4-0 in the seventh with three runs off Tyler Rogers, highlighted by Grisham’s 16th homer, an opposite-field shot, and Manny Machado’s RBI double.
San Francisco got a run in the eighth on Estrada’s infield single, and Joc Pederson hooked a two-run homer in the ninth just inside the right-field foul pole off Nick Martinez to bring the Giants within 4-3. But Martinez retired Evan Longoria on a foul pop to nail down his eighth save and fourth in a row since replacing struggling Josh Hader as San Diego’s closer.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: RHP Craig Stammen (right shoulder inflammation), sidelined since July 9, made his first rehab appearance for Class A Lake Elsinore, allowing one walk and striking out two in one inning. … RHP Tayler Scott (right middle finger laceration) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A El Paso.
Giants: 1B Brandon Belt (right knee inflammation) got a second opinion on his knee and is considering whether to have surgery, which would end his season. … C Joey Bart was placed on the seven-day concussion IL after taking a foul tip off the mask in Monday’s game. INF/C Yermin Mercedes was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento and started at first base. Austin Wynns was behind the plate. … OF Austin Slater left after two innings with a dislocated left pinkie. He was replaced in center field by Mike Yastrzemski.
UP NEXT
RHP Joe Musgrove (8-6, 2.96 ERA) goes for San Diego on Wednesday afternoon, looking to snap a streak of six consecutive losses. San Francisco counters with LHP Alex Wood (8-11, 5.00), who’s lost his past two starts and allowed a combined 15 earned runs.
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