SAN FRANCISCO — The starting staff carried the Giants during an eight-game home winning streak, but Chris Heston couldn’t keep the run going on Wednesday.
Heston was knocked around by the Padres in a 9-1 loss that was the first at AT&T Park since April 19. The rookie was charged with five runs on 11 hits and very nearly was knocked out of the game in the third inning. He lasted five innings, but the Giants never seriously threatened on a sunny afternoon at AT&T Park.
The Padres batted around in the third inning, getting five runs on a double, a walk and five singles. Starting with Cory Spangenberg with one out, seven straight Padres reached base, with the final four all hitting RBI singles. Five of the hits came on the sinker that was so good for Heston in April, and in all he gave up seven of 11 hits on the sinker.
Ian Kennedy had the day Heston wanted to have, piling up outs on the ground as he allowed just one run over seven innings.
Starting pitching report: Heston allowed 11 hits at Coors Field on April 24 and gave up 11 more on Wednesday. In his other four starts this season, Heston has allowed just 20 hits in 27 innings. The Padres bumped his ERA from 2.51 to 3.38.
Bullpen report: Javier Lopez lives. The lefty pitched for the first time since April 29 and gave up a run on two hits.
At the plate: In another park, Brandon Belt might have had three homers during this series. But AT&T is gonna AT&T, so when Belt crushed a ball that bounced off the bricks over the “421” sign in right-center, he got a triple, not a solo shot. Belt is still looking for his first homer of the year, but it doesn’t seem it’ll be long; he has four doubles and a triple in his last four games.
In the field: No errors, no real highlights for the Giants. Justin Upton added a diving catch in left to his career-high four walks.
Attendance: The Giants announced a crowd of 41,060 people who apparently don’t have to work on Wednesdays.
Up next: The return of Michael Morse. Last year’s left fielder will get his ring during a ceremony before Tim Hudson faces off against fellow veteran Dan Haren. “I’ll talk to Mo,” manager Bruce Bochy said Wednesday. “I’m sure he’s excited about getting his championship ring. It’s always good to see somebody who played such a major role in us winning a championship. I look forward to seeing him and giving him his ring. I know Ishi hit the big home run to win it for us, but it changed everything (when Morse homered in Game 5 of the NLCS) with how (the Cardinals) were going to use their pitching because of what Morse did.”
