The Sports Xchange
Jul 16, 2017
SAN DIEGO -- Hector Sanchez and Cory Spangenberg hit three-run homers and right-handed starter Trevor Cahill allowed one run over 6 2/3 innings as the San Diego Padres continued their recent domination of the San Francisco Giants with a 7-1 win on Sunday in the rubber match of a three-game series.
The Padres are 14-5 against the Giants since San Francisco won the first nine meetings between the National League West rivals to start the 2016 season.
Sanchez continued his personal assault on his original major league team with a three-run homer in the first -- the 421-foot shot to right coming just 12 1/2 hours after he defeated the Giants 5-3 with a two-run, walk-off homer in the ninth Saturday night.
Spangenberg added his three-run homer - a 410-foot shot to center -- in the third.
Both homers were hit off Giants starter and loser Jeff Samardzija (4-11).
Cahill (4-3) gave up one run on eight hits and a walk with eight strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings to drive his earned run average down to 3.14.
The Padres scored four in the first against Samardzija, who entered the game with a 2.04 career ERA at Petco Park.
With one out, Samardzija hit Carlos Asuaje with a pitch. Wil Myers followed with a single, ending a 2-for-14 slump. Sanchez then drove the second pitch he saw from Samardzija into the right-field seats. After Samardzija struck out Jabari Blash for the first of his eight strikeouts, Spangenberg tripled to right-center and scored on Erick Aybar's single into the right field corner.
The Giants pulled to within 4-1 when Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford opened the top of the second with back-to-back doubles. But Cahill avoided further damage in the inning by striking out Nick Hundley and Joe Panik before retiring Samardzija on a come-backer to end the inning.
Myers and Sanchez opened the Padres' third with back-to-back singles. After Samardzija again struck out Blash, Spangenberg connected on his sixth homer of the season to make it 7-1.
NOTES: Giants 1B Brandon Belt was a late scratch from the lineup Sunday due to a sprained left wrist. Belt injured the wrist Saturday night on a checked swing. He is listed as day-to-day. Buster Posey moved to first Sunday and Nick Hundley caught . . . Padres C Austin Hedges missed a second straight start Sunday after taking a foul tip on the face of his mask Friday night. Padres manager Andy Green said team doctors described the injury as "sub-concussive." . . . Former Giant Hector Sanchez is now 8-for-16 against his original team with four homers and 11 RBIs.