San Diego, CA (Sports Network) - Pablo Sandoval went 2-for-4 and smacked the
game-winning homer in the top of the 10th inning to lift the San Francisco
Giants over the San Diego Padres, 4-3, in the season finale for both clubs.
Ryan Webb (2-1) started the top of the 10th for the Padres and was greeted
with Sandoval's blast to center.
"It was fitting that he hit the home run to win the ballgame for us," Giants
manager Bruce Bochy said. "These guys came out on the last day and played
hard, I'm proud of them. It was a great finish for us."
Juan Uribe knocked in a run for the Giants (88-74), who finished the season
third in the National League West. Eugenio Velez went 3-for-5 with a pair of
runs scored. Andres Torres had two hits for San Fran, which hasn't made the
postseason since the 2003 campaign.
Jonathan Sanchez went 5 1/3 innings in the start, allowing two runs on three
hits with four walks and three strikeouts. He finished the season with an 8-12
record and a 4.24 ERA. Jeremy Affeldt (2-2) tossed two scoreless frames of
relief to get the win. Brian Wilson got out of a first-and-second jam in the
bottom of the 10th to pick up his 38th save of the year.
Randy Johnson, in possibly his final season of his 22-year career, had a pair
of strikeouts while pitching the seventh inning.
David Eckstein belted a two-run homer for the Padres (75-87), who finished
fourth in the NL West.
Cesar Ramos lasted 4 1/3 frames, giving up three runs on nine hits with three
strikeouts. He ended the season with an 0-1 record and a 3.07 ERA.
"I felt all right," Ramos said. "I didn't have my best stuff. Luckily, my
offspeed saved me today, those couple tough innings. Just gave it what I had
and kept us in the game."
The Giants jumped out to an early lead with a run in the first inning. Velez
led off with a single, Torres reached base on a bunt single, and Sandoval
singled to load the bases. Velez scored when Uribe grounded into a double
play.
The Padres failed to score after putting their first two men on base in the
second.
San Francisco plated a pair of runs in the third to build a three-run margin.
Singles from Sanchez, Velez, and Torres loaded the bases. Sandoval then drove
in a run when he grounded into a double play. Uribe followed with an RBI
double. Uribe was thrown out at the plate on Ryan Garko's base hit.
Eckstein's two-run homer in the sixth cut the deficit to 3-2. Everth Cabrera
hit a one-out single before Eckstein deposited a Sanchez offering over the
wall in left.
San Diego scored a run in the seventh to deadlock the tilt. With the bases
loaded and one out, Nick Hundley scored on an Eckstein foul out to third.
Neither team scored over the final few frames to send the tilt into extras.