San Diego, CA – Nick Hundley lifted a solo homer to help the San Diego Padres defeat the San Francisco Giants, 4-1, in the opener of a three-game set at Petco Park.
Ronny Cedeno added two hits and an RBI for San Diego, while Ian Kennedy (6-9) scattered five hits and one run across six innings of work. The right-hander struck out seven for the Padres, who snapped a three-game losing streak.
"For the most part I felt like I threw my fastball where I needed to and I worked off that," Kennedy said.
Struggling veteran Barry Zito (4-11) took the mound for San Francisco and lasted only four innings, giving up four runs on four hits with three walks. The Padres handed the left-hander his eighth consecutive losing decision.
"Finding the strike zone ... that's what did him in and did us in," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.
Brandon Belt drove in San Francisco's only run and had two hits for San Francisco, which has lost two of its last three games.
Zito walked Kyle Blanks and Logan Forsythe with one out in the second, with Cedeno plating Blanks two batters later with a line-drive single that dropped into center field. After a walk to Kennedy, Chris Denorfia singled on a line drive to shallow right to bring home Forsythe and Cedeno.
Hundley added to the lead in the fourth with a one-out solo shot to left- center field.
San Francisco avoided the shutout with a run in the fifth. After Gregor Blanco walked to start off the inning, Roger Kieschnick singled to right while pinch- hitting for Zito. Marco Scutaro then reached first on a fielder's choice before Belt doubled to center to score Blanco from third.
Belt led off the eighth with an infield single to short and took third on Hunter Pence's one-out single that extended his hitting streak to 10 games. Pence then stole second base to place runners on second and third, but Pablo Sandoval and Brandon Crawford both grounded out to end the Giants' threat.
Huston Street entered the game for San Diego in the ninth and retired all three batters to earn his 26th save of the season.
Game Notes
San Diego recalled right-handed pitcher Burch Smith from Triple-A Tucson prior to the game ... Padres third baseman Chase Headley missed his fifth straight game due to lower back stiffness ... San Francisco's Angel Pagan extended his hitting streak to eight games with a single in the top of the third ... San Francisco leads the season series, 8-6.
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