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San Francisco first baseman
Shea Hillenbrand
finally came through for the
San Francisco Giants
.
Hillenbrand looks to build off a strong night at the plate when the Giants continue their four-game series with the San Diego
Padres Wednesday at Petco Park.
The Giants acquired Hillenbrand from Toronto on July 22, after he had clashed with
Blue Jays
manager
John Gibbons
. Hillenbrand hit .301 with 39 RBIs in 81 games with the
Blue Jays
, but was batting just .221 (17-for-77) with three RBIs in 19 games for San Francisco entering Tuesday's game.
However, he went 2-for-3 and singled in the go-ahead run in the Giants' 3-2 win over the Padres. Hillenbrand also drew his
first walk since joining the Giants (56-63).
The victory was the second straight for San Francisco following a five-game losing streak. The Giants have won just five of
their last 21 games and are in last place in the NL West, 7 1/2 games behind the first-place
Los Angeles Dodgers
.
The Padres (60-59) lost for the sixth time in eight games, a skid that dropped them into second place in the West. San Diego,
12-19 since the All-Star break, trails the surging Dodgers by 3 1/2 games and is one game back of Cincinnati for the NL wild
card.
Brian Giles
homered in the sixth inning for the Padres' first run in 16 innings. The earned run was also just the second allowed by the
Giants in 32 innings.
Padres catcher
Mike Piazza
did not start because of a bruised right forearm that knocked him out of Monday's game. However, he pinch-hit and was hit
by a pitch.
Chan Ho Park
(7-7, 4.66 ERA) will look to help San Diego bounce back. He allowed three runs and eight hits - including a homer to Houston
starter
Andy Pettitte
- in five innings of Friday's 4-2 loss to the Astros.
The start was the first since July 25 for Park, who had been on the disabled list with intestinal bleeding that required blood
transfusions.
''It was better than what I was worried about,'' Park said. ''My changeup was working, but my breaking ball didn't do much.
I feel like I can go more (innings). I found out now it's OK.''
Park is 7-8 with a 5.08 ERA in 22 career appearances, including 20 starts, against the Giants. He is 0-1 with a 5.79 ERA in
two starts against them this season.
San Francisco will counter with left-hander
Noah Lowry
(5-7, 4.12), who allowed just two runs in 6 2-3 innings of the Giants' 3-2 loss to the
Los Angeles Dodgers
on Friday, but did not receive a decision. He threw nine innings against Colorado in his previous outing, allowing just one
run in a game San Francisco eventually lost 2-1 in 11 innings.
''I did everything I could to try to keep our team in the game,'' Lowry said Friday.
Lowry is 3-1 with a 3.58 ERA in nine career appearances, including seven starts, against the Padres. He gave up three runs
in 8 1-3 innings of a 9-3 win over San Diego on July 20.
Park gave up five runs in six innings in that game and was charged with the loss.
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