Jordan Hicks fired five scoreless innings Saturday, Michael Conforto blasted a grand slam to cap a six-run eighth inning and the visiting San Francisco Giants held off the San Diego Padres 9-6 for their second straight win.
Making his first start in nearly two calendar years, Hicks (1-0) allowed just three hits and a walk, fanning six. Four relievers finished up as San Francisco assured itself of no worse than a series split to open the season.
In his San Diego debut, Dylan Cease (0-1) absorbed the loss as the Padres fell to 2-3. Cease lasted 4 2/3 innings and 85 pitches, permitting two hits and three runs, two of which were earned. He walked two and struck out six.
Conforto was the only Giant with two hits but the team made their chances count. San Francisco stranded only four runners, going 4-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
The Giants initiated the scoring in the second when Thairo Estrada lofted a sacrifice fly to center that plated Wilmer Flores, who walked and moved to third on Conforto’s double. Tom Murphy followed with a two-out double to left that scored Conforto.
San Francisco upped the margin to 3-0 in the fifth by taking advantage of poor San Diego defense. Right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. dropped a fly ball off
Nick Ahmed’s bat with Murphy aboard for a two-base error. Jung Hoo Lee cashed in the mistake with a sacrifice fly.
The Padres got on the board in the sixth when Jurickson Profar grounded a two-out double down the left-field line that scored Jake Cronenworth from first. But their chances of rallying for a win ended with the Giants’ big eighth.
Lee belted his first career homer with one out, a solo blast to right-center, against reliever Tom Cosgrove. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases for
Flores, who singled home Jorge Soler. Conforto followed with his second homer of the series to right-center.
Eguy Rosario belted a two-run shot in the ninth for San Diego, followed by a three-run blast from Graham Pauley, his first career homer.
–Field Level Media