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Giants 13, Padres 5

SAN DIEGO -- Pablo Sandoval homered three times, leading the San Francisco Giants to a 13-5 romp over the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Wednesday.

Sandoval, who went 4-for-5 with six RBIs, hit three home runs for the second time in his career. He also accomplished the feat in Game 1 of the 2012 World Series during a win over the Detroit Tigers.

Hunter Pence, Hector Sanchez and Brandon Crawford also went deep as the Giants (62-77) recorded a season-high six home runs. They also tied the Padres (62-77) for fourth place in the National League West.

Sandoval hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning off Padres reliever Brad Brach, then a solo shot in the eighth off Brad Boxberger and a three-run shot in the ninth off Dale Thayer.

Tim Lincecum worked his first game at Petco since throwing a no-hitter against the Padres on July 13. Although Lincecum struggled for much of his outing, including a shaky first inning, he received plenty of offensive support and emerged with the win. Lincecum (9-13) allowed five runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and four walks in 5 2/3 innings.

San Diego's Eric Stults had one of his roughest starts of the season. Stults (8-13) was tagged for seven runs on nine hits with four strikeouts and no walks in 4 2/3 innings.

The Giants trailed 2-1 before getting two-run homers from Pence and Sanchez in the fourth inning. Pence drove a 2-2 pitch from Stults an estimated 408 feet into the upper deck, while Sanchez jumped on the first pitch he saw from the left-hander and drilled it into the Padres' bullpen in left-center.

Pence chased Stults with an RBI double in the fifth that increased the lead to 6-2. Sandoval followed with his blast off Brach.

San Francisco piled on against the San Diego bullpen in the late innings, with Sandoval's final homer capping the scoring.

The Padres got off to a good start.

Will Venable, who led off the first with a single, stole second and an advanced to third on a groundout, then scored on a passed ball by Sanchez.

Leading off the second, Ronny Cedeno homered for only the second time this season. He drove a 3-2 pitch from Lincecum an estimated 426 feet into the upper deck in left to put San Diego on top 2-0.

Crawford opened the third with a solo shot off the foul pole to slice the lead in half.

NOTES: C Buster Posey, who wasn't in the starting lineup Wednesday, has a swollen ring finger on his right hand after a wild pitch from LHP Madison Bumgarner struck him during Tuesday's loss to the Padres. Posey's status is day-to-day. ... Padres 3B Chase Headley returned to the lineup after missing six games with a lower back injury. ... The Giants entered the game with the fewest homers in the majors, 80. ... Arizona Diamondbacks RHP Trevor Cahill (5-10, 4.39 ERA) will face San Francisco RHP Ryan Vogelsong (3-4, 5.49) in the opener of a four-game series that begins Thursday at AT&T Park. ... The Padres will be off Thursday before hosting the Rockies for a three-game set starting Friday. Colorado RHP Juan Nicasio (8-7, 4.82) will face RHP Burch Smith (0-1, 11.37) in the opener. ... The game drew a crowd of 15,762.