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Amarista's RBI single in 9th lifts Padres past Giants, 5-4

Pinch-hitter Alexi Amarista's RBI single in the ninth inning lifted the San Diego Padres to a 5-4 victory over San Francisco Giants on Thursday night.
Amarista's RBI single in 9th lifts Padres past Giants, 5-4

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Pinch-hitter Alexi Amarista's RBI single in the ninth inning lifted the San Diego Padres to a 5-4 victory over San Francisco Giants on Thursday night.

Derek Norris opened the inning with a double off Mike Broadway (0-2), Norris' third extra-base of the game. Travis Jankowski ran for Norris and advanced to third on Melvin Upton Jr.'s sacrifice bunt. Pinch-hitter Brett Wallace was walked intentionally before Amarista's hit to left-center.

Craig Kimbrel (4-2) pitched the ninth to earn the win.

Matt Kemp's one-out double off reliever Sergio Romo tied the score at 4-4 in the eighth, after Cory Spangenberg reached on a fielder's choice.

Matt Duffy had three hits for San Francisco, which fell eight games behind the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers with 10 games left.

Giants starter Madison Bumgarner went seven innings and was charged with three runs, three hits and three walks while striking out nine.

It was Bumgarner's second straight strong performance against the Padres, as he was four outs shy of a perfect game in beating them 1-0 on Sept. 12. Bumgarner threw a season-high 120 pitches.

Ian Kennedy went five innings for San Diego and was charged with four runs and 11 hits with two walks (one intentional) with a balk. He struck out five.

The Giants scored twice in the fifth to go ahead 4-3.

Marlon Byrd's single knocked in Alejandro De Aza, after his inning-opening double. Brandon Crawford, who walked took second on Byrd's hit and third on a wild pitch. Kennedy then balked in the go-ahead run, when interrupting his delivery as Crawford distracted him leading off base.

San Francisco pulled to within 3-2 in the third on De Aza's RBI single, which followed Angel Pagan's double.

Norris' three-run homer in the second gave the Padres a 3-1 lead; Norris' shot to right field skidded off the top of the fence. It was his first home run since Aug. 14.

The Giants jumped to a 1-0 lead on Crawford's second-inning home run. It was Crawford's 20th of the season, one more than he had the last two seasons combined.

San Francisco threatened in the first when Pagan doubled, but he was erased at the plate on a relay from Wil Myers after Duffy's single. Duffy then stole second, becoming the third Giants rookie in franchise history with at least 70 runs scored, 70 RBI and 10 stolen bases.

TRAINERS ROOM

PADRES: 3B Yangervis Solarte (right hamstring cramp) was a late scratch after originally being in the lineup. He flew out as a pinch-hitter . ... RHP Bud Norris left the game with a right groin strain.

GIANTS: OF Hunter Pence (oblique) and 1B Brandon Belt (concussion) remain out and manager Bruce Bochy said he doesn't expect either to play again this season.

UP NEXT

GIANTS: RHP Mike Leake (10-9, 3.81) looks for his second win in six decisions with San Francisco as the Giants open a three-game series at Oakland. Leake lasted but three innings in his last start, taking the loss after allowing three runs on eight hits and a walk.

Padres: RHP Casey Kelly (0-0, 4.50) is making his first start since 2012 as he rebounds from two Tommy John surgeries. A 2009 first-round pick of the Red Sox, Kelly worked two innings of relief on Sept. 19 at Colorado, charged with a run on five hits.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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