SAN DIEGO – Toronto's bullpen was brilliant for nearly 12 innings, yet the Blue Jays still walked away disappointed.
Worse, they had to watch a San Diego starter win in relief.
Clayton Richard got his first victory of the season by pitching two scoreless innings and Jesus Guzman singled home the winning run with two outs in the 17th to give the Padres a 4-3 win over Toronto early Saturday.
Richard (1-5), who had been scheduled to start Saturday night, came on to start the 16th. He entered 0-5 with an 8.35 ERA in seven starts and recently spent time on the disabled list with an intestinal virus. He gave up one hit and struck out two in his first relief appearance since May 2009 with the Chicago White Sox.
"A marathon. I think what makes it tougher is that we flew cross-country last night and got in late," Blue Jays reliever Brett Cecil said. "We're still all on Eastern time. So technically for us, it's 3 or 4 in the morning. So guys are tired."
Rookie Jedd Gyorko's third hit of the night, a one-out single, caromed off third base into shallow left. Gyorko was sacrificed to second by Richard and scored when Guzman singled up the middle off Todd Redmond (0-1).
The winning hit came three innings after the 14th-inning stretch. The game lasted 4 hours, 58 minutes.
"It's tough to watch because we couldn't get anything to fall and then couldn't get timely hitting at the end," Blue Jays starter Chad Jenkins said.
Toronto's bullpen went 11 2-3 innings, allowing one run on six hits while striking out 10 and walking three.
"We certainly don't want to be in as many games as we have been," Cecil said. "But it's a part of the game. We have to pick ourselves up when we can. That's what we have been doing."
The Blue Jays and Padres weren't alone playing deep into the night, though. After nearly five hours of rain delays, the Tampa Bay-Cleveland game ended about 20 minutes before this one did — one night after the Royals beat the Cardinals in a rain-delayed game that finished at 3:14 a.m. CDT.
Four Padres relievers retired 17 Blue Jays batters in a row before Adam Lind singled leading off the 13th, his third hit.
Toronto's Colby Rasmus had a two-run homer among his season-high four hits and robbed Yonder Alonso of a solo shot.
The Blue Jays took a 3-0 lead after four innings on two home runs off Jason Marquis. Rasmus hit a two-run drive to straightaway center with one out in the second. His ninth homer came after J.P. Arencibia walked.
In the bottom of the inning, Rasmus made a leaping catch to rob Alonso of a homer. Alonso doffed his batting helmet toward Rasmus.
Edwin Encarnacion lined Marquis' first pitch of the fourth into the balcony on the second level of the Western Metal Supply Co. brick warehouse in the left-field corner, his 15th.
The Padres tied it at 3 in the fifth. Gyorko hit a two-run double to right-center with one out, went to third on the throw home and scored on Arencibia's errant throw to third. Carlos Quentin was hit by a pitch on the back of his left hand leading off the inning and Alonso followed with a single.
Toronto failed to take advantage of two bases-loaded situations. Marquis got two straight outs after allowing Encarnacion's homer but then loaded the bases on two singles and a walk before striking out Jenkins.
Marquis loaded the bases with one out in the sixth by allowing two singles and a walk before making way for Tyson Ross. Melky Cabrera then grounded into a 3-2-3 double play.
Marquis, making his 300th career start, got his second straight no-decision after a five-start winning streak. He allowed three runs and seven hits in 5 1-3 innings, struck out six and walked four.
Jenkins went five innings for the third straight start, allowing three runs, two earned, on three hits. He struck out two and walked none.
NOTES: Alonso, San Diego's first baseman, was hit on the right hand by a pitch from Aaron Loup in the seventh. Alonso played defense in the eighth but was replaced in the ninth. The Padres said X-rays were negative and Alonso has a bruised hand. ... Jenkins has gone five innings in five of his six career starts. ... Encarnacion is 10 for 20 with three homers and three walks against Marquis. ... This is the third time the Blue Jays have played a series at Petco Park. They won series in 2004 and 2010 by 2-1 margins. ... Jenkins was pitching on regular rest after waiting 14 days between his first and second starts. He missed the first month with shoulder inflammation. ... Mark Buehrle (2-3, 5.51 ERA) is scheduled to start Saturday night for Toronto. ... The Padres will call up LHP Robbie Erlin from Triple-A Tucson to start Saturday night. ... Sunday's series finale will be played at 7:10 p.m. due to the annual Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. The race will finish in a parking lot outside Petco Park and a post-race concert featuring the Psychedelic Furs will be held in the ballpark, with the stage set up near the first-base line.
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