SAN DIEGO – It wasn't pretty, but the Padres managed to do something they hadn't done since 2017.
San Diego knocked just a pair of hits, but rode a battling start from Lucas Giolito in his home debut and near perfect work from the bullpen as made a pair of runs stand up in a 2-0 win over the Athletics on Saturday night at Petco Park.
Fernando Tatis Jr. was hit by a pitch with the base loaded and Ty France had a ground-out for the Padres' (31-20) RBI, as the Brown and Gold bats were selective in working a season-high eight walks to create their offensive opportunities.
"In every at bat we're cheering every walk, every 3-2 battle and every pitch they lay off that's close, we're just celebrating the small wins, and eventually we have a bunch of small wins, it's going to turn into big things," manager Craig Stammen said.
"We're not going to score 10 runs every night, seven runs every night, every once in a while it's going to be like this — hopefully it's less often than not — but any way we can find a way to win and hand the ball over to our bullpen with a lead is a good job for us."
San Diego's first five base runners came on walks by Athletics (26-26) starter J.T. Ginn , two in the first and three in the second to load the bases. Then Tatis Jr. got hit by a one-out, up-and-in sinker to score the first run of the game, but that would be all, as Miguel Andujar grounded out back to the pitcher and Gavin Sheets flew out.
Jackson Merrill finally collected the Padres' first hit in the third after Ginn got the hook when he walked Nick Castellanos . Lefty reliever José Suarez saw his inside challenging fastball get ripped down the right field line for a double, then Ty France hit an RBI ground out to double the San Diego lead. Sheets would later collect the only other Padres hit in the seventh.
Meanwhile Giolito worked around traffic on the bases most of his start, but the double play was his best friend to get out of trouble as the Padres matched their season high with three.
"(Giolito) was definitely feeling off the entire game and searching for answers in the dugout, trying to figure out his mechanics and get them right for the next inning and try to find it as the game went on, but he just battled (with) competitiveness, knew he's never out of it and knows when he's one pitch away, and those are all things you can rely on as a veteran pitcher, being mentally tough and being able to get out of some of those jams," Stammen said.
France had a hand in all of them, turning two unassisted; one in the third on a Nick Kurtz grounder, and another snaring a Carlos Cortes liner and stepping on the bag in the fifth.
"Ty made a lot of great plays tonight, that ground ball double play that he turned, I told him he was Steph Curry shooting a 3 where he caught and threw it to (second) without looking and got back to the bag," Stammen said.
Through five innings of scoreless work the San Diego starter scattered four hits and struck out a pair while also walking five. Giolito was able to get three straight outs to wriggle out of having men on first and third in the opening inning, then got out of a one-out, bases loaded situation in the fourth by inducing a three-six-three double play turned between France and Sung-Mun Song.
"I feel really good about (Song) playing anywhere on the infield, he's just pretty sure-handed and he's handled all the position changes really well from a guy that's really played one position mostly, coming over to a different country... Now we're moving him all around, he's handling it really well, knows where he's fitting in on the team and he's doing a great job," Stammen said.
The Padres bullpen made it stand up, as Jeremiah Estrada allowed just a walk in an inning, Adrian Morejon pitched a clean seventh and Jason Adam allowed a double to Shea Langeliers but got the rest of the outs via strikeout. Mason Miller earned his 16th save behind a pair of strikeouts.
Ginn's final line was six walks and four strikeouts with two runs allowed despite not giving up a hit in 2 1/3 innings.
Michael King (4-2, 2.31 ERA) is slated to start the series finale, while the Athletics have yet to name a starter. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. at Petco Park, with a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies on tap beginning on Monday night.
This story was updated at 9:55 p.m.
