Padres beat Vogelsong to avoid a Giants sweep

SAN DIEGO -- Ryan Vogelsong's Sunday afternoon began with a struggle and it never got better.

Padres leadoff man Everth Cabrera worked the Giants pitcher for 13 pitches, all of them fastballs, in the bottom of the first. Cabrera struck out, but neither Vogelsong nor San Francisco recovered. The Padres scored three runs in the first inning, starting them on their way to a 7-1 victory that dropped the Giants into second place in the National League West, a half-game behind the Dodgers.

Eyeing a three-game sweep, Giants fans filled several sections of Petco Park, where San Francisco had scored 18 runs to claim the series' first two games.

The Padres did the heavy hitting this time, though. They knocked out Vogeslong (10-7) in the fourth inning and scored three runs in the fifth against reliever Jose Mijares. San Diego had 16 hits, including four from its No. 7 hitter, Cameron Maybin. The Giants scored only an unearned run off Clayton Richard (10-12) in eight innings.

"It's always nice to not get swept," said Padres first baseman Yonder Alonso. "We're (14 1/2) games out of it, but I've seen crazy things happen. We're going to keep fighting."

Padres players congratulated Cabrera when he returned to the dugout after his long at-bat in the first. Although Vogelsong said the 13-pitch at-bat had "zero" to do with his rough start, Alonso said Vogelsong appeared frustrated as the pitches mounted. Giants manager Bruce Bochy said the toll may have led to San Diego's early outburst.

"At-bats like that are great at-bats for a club, particularly a leadoff hitter," Bochy said. "It's probably going to catch up with you. You lose a little of your command, and I think that was the case with Volgy."

Carlos Quentin denied Vogelsong a two-out escape in the first by hitting a single to score Will Venable, who'd singled and stolen second base.

A single and a walk loaded the bases for Maybin, who was batting only .211, but at that point Vogelsong had already thrown 30 pitches. Maybin lined the next pitch for a two-run single to center field. The hit raised his batting average with runners in scoring position to .282.

For the second game in a row, hits were easy to come by against Vogelsong. The Padres had eight hits in the three-plus innings. In his previous outing, Vogelsong lasted only 2 2/3 innings and gave up nine hits and eight runs to the Nationals.

Bochy said Volgesong isn't wearing down, citing his seven strikeouts and customary fastball speed.

"It was foul-ball day," Bochy said, grousing that Vogelsong's "stuff" was too good for hitters to put it in play for outs.

Vogelsong's tailing fastball that plunked Quentin in the third created some drama. Quentin glared at the pitcher before heading to first base.

"Every time you hit a guy in this game, they think you did it on purpose," Vogelsong said. "It's freaking tired."

An inning later, Richard hit Giants first baseman Brandon Belt with a fastball, and plate umpire Brian O'Nora warned both teams that the next plunking could result in an ejection.

Bochy said he was "sure" that Richard hit Belt on purpose.

"No big deal," he said. "You're just hoping the next guy makes him pay for it."

Richard retired the next hitter, Justin Christian, to preserve a 3-1 lead.

The Padres overcame a tough afternoon for their best player, Chase Headley, who struck out in both chances against Vogelsong and suffered his second career ejection, following an argument with O'Nora in the fourth.

Hunter Pence's sacrifice fly brought in Buster Posey for the Giants' only run, making it 3-1 in the second.

Monday, the Giants will be in Los Angeles to open a three-game series at Dodger Stadium.

"It's going to be exciting," Bochy said. "You should look forward to a series like this."

NOTES: Melky Cabrera's drug test-related suspension has Giants manager Bruce Bochy stumped about what the club could've done to prevent Cabrera from using a banned substance. Bochy noted that the club stocks only supplements that are MLB-approved and bans clubhouse visitors who aren't MLB- credentialed. "We can't follow guys 24-7," Bochy said. "It comes down to choices. These are grown men. We can't have a bodyguard on these guys." . . . Giants reliever Clay Hensley said he's learned to change speeds better since losing heat on his fastball. "I'm glad he told you that," Bochy cracked, "because he goes around here and tells everybody that he used to throw in the mid-90s." . . . In his last four starts at Petco Park, Richard is 4-0 with a 1.39 ERA.