Cease strikes out 10 as Padres blank Giants
SAN FRANCISCO -- Fernando Tatís Jr. hit a two-run homer, Dylan Cease struck out 10 in six shutout innings and the San Diego Padres beat the San Francisco Giants 5-0 on Friday night.
The Padres are a half-game ahead of the Diamondbacks atop the National League wild card standings and 1 1/2 games in front of the Mets for the third and final wild card spot. The Giants have lost three of four and were shut out in back-to-back games for the first time this season.
Luis Arráez had three hits and a walk on Friday, extending his streak to 129 consecutive at bats without a strikeout. It's the longest since Juan Pierre went 147 at bats without a strikeout in 2004.
Cease (13-11) recorded his 1,000th career strikeout in the third inning when he got Donovan Walton looking. He held the Giants to four hits and two walks, and also got some help from defense in the sixth when Tatís and Jake Cronenworth combined to cut down Heliot Ramos at the plate on a double by Patrick Bailey. The 28-year-old got his first win since Aug. 17.
"It means a lot," Cease said of getting to the 1,000 mark. "Longevity and execution and performance and all that good stuff, but just happy we won. I feel like I haven't contributed in like a month. So it feels nice to contribute."
Padres manager Mike Shildt said Cease was "electric."
"I thought his stuff was really good," Shildt said. "Around the zone, a lot of life, ball up, secondary was good. A lot of strikes out of the hand. Anytime there was a miss, it was a quick adjustment. I thought it was fantastic to get through six and keep them shut out."
San Diego scored three times in the first inning off Logan Webb (12-10). Tatís homered to center field after Arráez led off the game with a single. Xander Bogaerts drove in Manny Machado with an RBI double later in the inning.
"He's just driving balls," Shildt said of Tatís. "He looks like he's in a good place ... That's a good sign when he's driving the ball to the middle of the field, using the gaps."
Webb gave up a fourth run in the fourth when he threw wildly to first on a comebacker by Elias Díaz, allowing Jackson Merrill to score from second. He exited after the fourth after allowing seven hits, striking out four and walking one while throwing 83 pitches.
It was the first time in 22 games that Webb has not pitched at least five innings.
"They're one of the better (batting) average teams in baseball, if not the best," Webb said. "I'm a contact guy. My job is to try to limit damage and I didn't do that."
Giants manager Bob Melvin said that Webb has been taxed this season. He leads all of baseball with 193.2 innings pitched.
"Just a tough first inning, throws the ball away," Melvin said. "It was time to just give him a little bit of a break. (To) keep pushing him in a 4-0 game with the innings that he's pitched, sometimes even a guy like him needs a break."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Padres: IF Ha-Seong Kim (right shoulder inflammation), whose recovery has been shaky, was scheduled to throw on Friday but manager Mike Shildt said that Kim has "gone back a little bit in his throwing intensity."
Giants: IF Tyler Fitzgerald (lower back tightness) has no structural damage in his lower back after undergoing an MRI. The shortstop is considered day-to-day after leaving Thursday's game early, and manager Bob Melvin said he isn't expected to go on the IL. … LHP Robbie Ray (left hamstring strain) is scheduled to throw a bullpen this weekend. … RHP Randy Rodriguez (right elbow inflammation) threw a bullpen on Thursday and is scheduled for another on Sunday.
UP NEXT
RHP Mason Black (0-3, 7.50 ERA) is scheduled to pitch for the Giants in the second game of the series, opposite RHP Joe Musgrove (5-5, 4.64 ERA) for the Padres.
