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| Gonzalez, Maddux lead Padres past Giants SAN DIEGO 8, SAN FRANCISCO 4 |
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By Ryan Leong PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) -- Greg Maddux continues to add to his Hall of Fame resume and is closing in on career win No. 350. Maddux pitched seven solid innings, allowing only one run and three hits, in the San Diego Padres' 8-4 victory over the lowly San Francisco Giants on Monday afternoon. Adrian Gonzalez was 4-for-5 with a two-run home run in the first inning and scored four runs for the Padres. "If you look at our numbers on the road, we're actually a good hitting team," Gonzalez said. "It's a lot easier to know your approach will pay off so that's always a good thing for us to go on the road as hitters. He was leaving a lot of his pitches up. We tried to work the count on him and we were able to capitalize early." Maddux (1-0) allowed a run in the first but settled down nicely, retiring nine in a row and 19 of 20 to pick up his 348th win. Maddux also has won six in a row against the Giants and has not lost to them since May 9, 2003. "I like the city and the ballpark," said Maddux, who is now 7-1 at AT&T Park in his career with a 2.52 ERA. "The city is tremendous, a great place to go people watch and see a lot of stuff you don't get to see in other cities. I love to come here and the weather is usually good here. It's either cold or it's not. It's never hot so that's good." The righthander, who turns 42 next week, struck out five and induced 14 groundouts to a Giants lineup that was without Barry Bonds for the first time in 15 years. "It is different," Maddux said. "Probably the best player I've ever had a chance to face. I know that when you go over the Giants lineup, you worry about the eight guys because you know you're going to walk Barry. It matters and you actually had to worry about one more guy so it took a little bit longer. He was easily the best over the last 20 years, no question." Gonzalez gave Maddux all the support he would need in the top of the first, clubbing a two-run blast to deep left-center field to put San Diego on top. In the third, Tadahito Iguchi singled hard up the middle and Gonzalez followed with a single to left center. Kevin Kouzmanoff loaded the bases with a single before Jim Edmonds pushed it to 3-1 with an RBI single. A sacrifice fly by Khalil Greene added another run. "We squared up some balls pretty good," Padres manager Bud Black said. "I thought the first week we've had good AB's (at-bats) overall as a group and it showed again today." Scott Hairston followed with a grounder to third, but Jose Castillo booted the ball to allow a run to score and cap a three-run frame for a 5-1 lead. Giants starter Matt Cain was ineffective and was chased after pitching only 4 1/3 innings. The 23-year-old righthander allowed five runs - four earned - and seven hits in 4 1/3 while striking out five and walking five. "Matt was off today," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "It wasn't a question of ... he knew he was a little flat. He didn't have his command and he is going to have days like this. Unfortunately he did this on the opener and he has thrown so well. Today he just had an off-day. He didn't get the ball where he wanted it and they took advantage of him." San Francisco made it interesting in the bottom of the ninth, when Eugenio Velez led off with a triple to the gap in right-center. Aaron Rowand walked and Bengie Molina smashed a double deep to center to score two runs to cut the deficit to 8-3. Castillo hit into a double play to plate Molina from third, but the scoring stopped there for the Giants, who have not produced more than four runs in a game this season. As part of their 50th Anniversary celebration since the team moved from New York in 1958, several members of that first San Francisco team were in attendance and honored with a pregame motorcade in vintage 1950s automobiles. Equipment manager Mike Murphy, who has been with the organization since the franchise moved west, threw out the first pitch. |
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