Padres can't overcome another slow start, rally falls short vs Giants

SAN DIEGO -- For the second straight game a comeback attempt by the San Diego Padres came up agonizingly short, as the San Francisco Giants hung on for a 4-3 win on Monday night at Petco Park.

San Diego (69-56) scored all three of their runs unearned in the seventh inning and had a would've been home run overturned in the second inning, while San Francisco (61-64) got all four runs off a trio of home runs in the first inning.

It was the fourth straight loss for the Padres, who could not take advantage of the Los Angeles Dodgers losing at Colorado and remained two games back of the NL West leaders. Over the past three games San Diego starters have allowed 11 runs on eight hits, with five going for homers and also conceding five walks the the opening inning.

Ryan O’Hearn crushed a two-out, pinch hit two-run home run to center field 417 feet that chased San Francisco starter Robbie Ray that pulled the Padres back within one. It was O’Hearn’s second home run in Brown and Gold and 15th of the season; both his big flies for San Diego have been off of lefties.

Outside of a first inning single by Manny Machado, the Padres had only managed a walk against Ray until Xander Bogaerts laced a one-out double in the seventh. Jose Iglesias followed by reaching on a throwing error when third baseman Casey Schmitdt couldn’t clearly make the transfer, then threw wide of first to score the first San Diego run.

Bogaerts appeared to put the Padres on the board in the second inning when he hit the ball to the wall in left field, with it coming down between a pair of fans and rolling out of the glove of Heliot Ramos and over the wall. The play was reviewed at request of the crew chief and determined to be interference instead of the 11th home run of the season for Bogaerts.

"The definition that we got from replay was 'it was clear' that there was some impediment that took place, clearly (the fan) didn't touch the baseball," manager Mike Shildt said. "With the angle of the ball coming and where it went/landed, there was not anybody who was impeding him, and if it's so clear, how come it takes two minutes and 40 seconds to figure it out? ...

"We have 15 seconds to review a call in the first place, We got two minutes and 40 seconds to sit there —what are you looking for? If it's that clear, then overturn it early, if it's not then it's a home run... That's just truly disappointing that we go that long and have to come up with a conclusion that's not conclusive to overturn a home run that ends up costing us an opportunity to win a baseball game."

Shildt said that Padres replay coaches felt there was "zero chance" the play would get overturned.

The MLB’s Spectator Interference rule 6.01(e) comment states that “No interference shall be allowed when a fielder reaches over a fence, railing, rope or into a stand to catch a ball. He does so at his own risk. However, should a spectator reach out on the playing field side of such fence, railing or rope, and plainly prevent the fielder from catching the ball (emphasis added), then the batsman should be called out for the spectator’s interference.”

Shildt was ejected after the ruling was announced when he left the bench and attempted to engage with the umpiring crew to express his disbelief.

"You tell 45,000 people and my dugout that," Shildt said after home plate umpire James Hoye told him he could've spoken between innings. "At that point it's egregious, because I'm sitting there watching the whole thing myself, and I when you're waiting that long it's like you're looking for something. I know the rule and I don't want to get ejected out of a game, but I also need to make a point when a point needs to be made."

Nestor Cortes had his longest start since coming over from Milwaukee at the trade deadline, going 5 ⅔ innings and keeping a lid on the San Francisco offense after a rough start in taking his second loss. He finished with seven hits and four runs allowed to go with five strikeouts and four walks, and retired the final five of his six batters faced with runners in scoring position.

The Giants sent two of the first six pitches thrown by Cortes over the wall, with Ramos golfing a fastball below the zone at his shins into the second row in left field. Then Rafael Devers locked in on an elevated four-seamer and hit his 24th home run of the season, marking the first time all season that a Padres pitcher has allowed consecutive home runs.

That wouldn’t be all though, as after Schmitt hit a one out double, Wilmer Flowers turned on a letter-high heater to the inside and hit it out over the wall climbing effort down the left field line by Laureano.

Game two of the series will have Nick Pivetta (12-4, 2.87 ERA) getting the start for the Padres with Kai-Wei Teng (1-2, 9.90 ERA) taking the hill for the Giants with the first pitch scheduled for 6:40 p.m. at Petco Park.

This story was updated at 9:59 p.m.