SF Giants Clinch Playoff Spot With 9-1 Thumping Of Padres, 8th Win In A Row

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — It’s been 5 years since Brandon Belt got to toast a playoff berth, truthful the Giants archetypal baseman was admittedly retired of signifier erstwhile the champagne started to travel successful San Francisco’s clubhouse.

“I forgot however overmuch this burns to get successful your eyes, but it burns truthful good,” a beaming Belt said. “We perfectly emotion it.”

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The astonishing Giants became the archetypal squad to clinch a playoff spot this season, hitting 4 location runs to bushed the San Diego Padres 9-1 connected Monday nighttime for their season-high eighth consecutive victory.

After finishing 29-31 during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, the Giants person turned things astir successful manager Gabe Kapler’s 2nd year. They person the champion grounds successful shot (94-50) with 18 games remaining — guaranteeing them astatine slightest a chaotic paper arsenic they effort to clasp disconnected the rival Dodgers for the NL West title.

“This is simply a beauteous focused and even-keeled team,” said Kapler, who won a World Series ringing arsenic a subordinate with the Boston Red Sox successful 2004. “You person rather a fewer World Series champions successful that country and radical who recognize that this is 1 measurement successful the absorption that we privation to go, but not the eventual goal.”

San Francisco extended its latest blistery streak by getting aboriginal powerfulness astatine the sheet and dependable pitching from the bullpen aft opener Dominic Leone threw 2 beardown innings.

Tommy La Stella homered connected the 4th transportation from Padres starter Yu Darvish and Evan Longoria deed a three-run thrust 5 batters later. Mike Yastrzemski added a solo changeable successful the fourth, erstwhile Belt besides went heavy arsenic San Francisco secured a postseason berth for the archetypal clip since 2016.

This 1 was unexpected for a squad that won the World Series successful 2010, 2012 and 2014.

“It took america possibly fractional the play to get the designation nationally, but present we recognize we person a people connected our back,” Longoria said. “It doesn’t get immoderate easier from here.”

All 4 homers came disconnected Darvish (8-10), struggling successful his archetypal play with the Padres aft starting 6-1. The five-time All-Star lasted 4 innings, allowing 8 runs and six hits.

San Diego fell a crippled down idle Cincinnati for the 2nd NL chaotic card.

“The communicative of the night, we got bushed aboriginal connected with the agelong ball,” Padres manager Jayce Tingler said. “(Darvish) conscionable didn’t person the wide command. Didn’t person the decorativeness to what helium usually has with the slider and cutter. Health-wise, he’s good.”

After the last out, Giants players hugged connected the tract and coaches did the aforesaid successful the dugout earlier heading wrong the clubhouse for a bubbly celebration.

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It’s the earliest day the franchise has ever clinched a travel to the postseason.

“Just similar astir years that we won it oregon went to the playoffs, I don’t deliberation astir radical believed that we’d beryllium successful this position,” Belt said. “It’s beauteous satisfying to get backmost present aft a portion of not being precise good. People conscionable kept stepping up.”

The Padres scored connected back-to-back doubles by Trent Grisham and Fernando Tatis Jr. disconnected Jarlin García successful the third.

Zack Littell (3-0) retired 5 batters to get the win. José Álvarez, Camilo Doval and Kervin Castro followed and combined for 4 scoreless innings.

Eric Hosmer and Wil Myers had 2 hits apiece for San Diego.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Padres: RHP Chris Paddack was placed connected the 10-day injured database with close elbow inflammation, an wounded helium seemingly aggravated playing drawback earlier the game. That’s a stroke to the rotation, arsenic Blake Snell is receiving attraction for groin tightness that constricted him to 11 pitches against the Dodgers connected Sunday. RHP Shaun Anderson was recalled from Triple-A El Paso to capable Paddack’s roster spot.

Giants: LHP José Quintana was reinstated from the paternity list. OF Mauricio Dubon was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento.

UP NEXT

RHP Jake Arrieta (5-12, 7.04 ERA) makes his 3rd commencement for the Padres since signing arsenic a insignificant league escaped cause Aug. 16. Arrieta allowed 3 runs successful 5 innings during his past outing against the Astros.

Giants RHP Anthony DeSclafani (11-6, 3.33) is winless successful his erstwhile 4 starts and has allowed six earned runs implicit the past 14 2/3 innings.

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Copyright 2021 The Associated Press.