The Sports Xchange
Jul 15, 2017
SAN DIEGO -- Buster Posey homered and had two RBIs as the San Francisco Giants survived another shaky start by Johnny Cueto to beat the San Diego Padres 5-4 on Friday night.
Posey, who entered the game with two hits in his last 19 at-bats, produced a seventh-inning, 429-foot blast off reliever Ryan Buchter for his 11th homer on the year and his first since June 22.
Posey had his first RBI when he singled in the game's initial run.
Gorkys Hernandez had a career-high four hits to lead the Giants' 14-hit attack.
Cory Gearrin (3-2), who relieved Cueto, secured the win after pitching a scoreless inning.
Sam Dyson worked the ninth for his fourth save, but not before the Padres scored once and had the tying run at third when Jabari Blash flied out.
Cueto escaped without a decision and has won just twice in eight starts; last year he was 13-1 at the break. The right-hander lasted four innings and was charged with three runs and six hits. He struck out five and walked three.
Clayton Richard (5-9) went 5 2/3 innings and surrendered four runs, 11 hits and two walks. Richard, who hasn't won in five starts in a row, struck out four.
The Giants regained the advantage with a two-run sixth as they chased Richard. Denard Span knocked in the go-ahead run with a single to score Joe Panik, who produced the second of consecutive singles against Richard.
In the fourth, San Diego took its first lead at 3-2 when Austin Hedges' single drove in Erick Aybar after his double to right.
The Padres tied it 2-2 in the second. Blash, who was recalled earlier from Triple-A El Paso, doubled in Corey Spangenberg after his inning-opening walk. Blash then scored on Aybar's single.
San Francisco went up 2-0 on Cueto's second-inning flare to right field, which brought in Brandon Crawford. After Crawford was safe at the plate, Hedges fired down to first base where Cueto was retired after rounding the bag aggressively.
The Giants struck in the first, taking a 1-0 lead on Posey's RBI single. Posey's hit fell just in front of a diving Blash in right field to bring around Brandon Belt after he reached on a two-out single.
NOTES: Giants INF Eduardo Nunez (hamstring) was activated off the disabled list and started at third base. ... OF Mac Williamson was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento. ... RHP Mark Melancon (oblique) is playing catch, but only on flat ground. There's no timetable for his return. ... Padres OF Hunter Renfroe (neck), the team leader with 16 home runs, was put on the DL. ... RHP Jose Valdez was brought up from Triple-A. ... RHP Kirby Yates was placed on the paternity leave list.