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Stauffer Out-Duels Bumgarner As Padres Retake N.L. West Lead From Giants, 1-0
San Diego, CA (Sports Network) - Tim Stauffer and three relievers combined on a three-hit shutout, putting the San Diego Padres back in sole possession of first place with a 1-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants.
Stauffer (4-3) went a season-high six innings for the Padres, who won for the first time in this critical four-game series to take a one-game lead over San Francisco in the division. Making his second consecutive start after serving a bullpen role for most of the season, Stauffer allowed just three hits and two walks while fanning five.
Yorvit Torrealba's home run provided the game's only offense, and Luke Gregerson, Mike Adams and Heath Bell each pitched a scoreless inning of relief to notch the crucial victory. Bell earned his 40th save.
“You always want to be in first place, but we still have a long ways to go,” Torrealba said. “We just have to keep winning.”
Madison Bumgarner (5-5) nearly matched Stauffer pitch-for-pitch, allowing just the one run on three hits with four strikeouts and no walks in seven sterling innings for the Giants, who recorded a 1-0 victory in Friday's contest.
San Francisco fell two games behind both Atlanta and Philadelphia for the NL wild card. Atlanta won on Saturday while Philadelphia lost as the two teams are tied for the NL East and the wild card spot.
Both starting pitchers were stingy from the beginning.
San Francisco threatened first, loading the bases with one out in the second. Stauffer, however, recovered to induce a harmless pop up from Edgar Renteria before getting Bumgarner to ground out.
Torrealba did all the damage himself in the third, depositing a Bumgarner offering over the wall in right for a 1-0 San Diego lead.
“I made one bad pitch to Torrealba. That’s just the way it goes sometimes,” Bumgarner said.
Stauffer got through the sixth unscathed, allowing two baserunners after the second inning. Gregerson followed with a perfect seventh, and Adams tossed a 1-2-3 eighth.
Bell hit San Francisco's Aubrey Huff with a pitch with one out in the ninth, but Buster Posey struck out, and pinch-runner Darren Ford was caught attempting to steal second to end the game.
Both teams will put their aces on the hill in Sunday's series finale. Two-time defending NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum will start for San Francisco and will face the MLB ERA leader in San Diego's Mat Latos...Bumgarner has a road ERA of 2.14 this season...San Diego leads the season series, 10-4...Time of game: 2:07.
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