San Diego Gets Just 2 Hits And Wins

The way the San Diego Padres are pitching, they don't need much offense to win. In fact, two hits are enough. <br/><br/>Chris Young outpitched San Francisco's Matt Cain, who allowed just one hit

Tuesday, April 10th 2007, 7:36 am

By: News On 6

The way the San Diego Padres are pitching, they don't need much offense to win. In fact, two hits are enough.

Chris Young outpitched San Francisco's Matt Cain, who allowed just one hit in seven innings but lost 1-0 to the Padres on pinch-hitter Geoff Blum's sacrifice fly Monday night.

The Padres won their third straight and handed former manager Bruce Bochy another loss.

While the Padres had only two hits, their pitching continued to be lights-out, as Young, Cla Meredith and Trevor Hoffman combined on a five-hitter. San Diego's bullpen extended its season-opening scoreless streak to 20 2-3 innings.

``We've got great character in here and I don't think we're going to panic or worry, especially in close games,'' Young said. ``The way our bullpen is, we feel like if we can keep it close, our bullpen is going to hold it for us, then we'll push across a few runs and win it.''

In other NL games, it was: New York 11, Philadelphia 5; St. Louis 3, Pittsburgh 0; Colorado 6, Los Angeles 3; Houston 5, Chicago 3; Florida 5, Milwaukee 3; and Arizona 3, Cincinnati 2.

Young (1-0) allowed four hits in seven innings, with five strikeouts and two walks.

``You look at the history of Petco Park, we've played a lot of these games over the last three years,'' right fielder Brian Giles said after the Padres played their fourth straight one-run game at home this season. ``You really don't expect that to change.''

The Giants lost their fourth straight and dropped to 1-6. Their only win was in the third game of a season-opening series against the Padres in San Francisco. It was the third time since the Giants moved to San Francisco in 1958 that they lost six of their first seven games. The other two times were 1967 and 1980.

Bochy returned to Petco Park for the first time since jumping from San Diego, where he managed for 12 seasons, to the NL West-rival Giants.

Cain (0-1) held the Padres hitless until Khalil Greene hit a leadoff double down the left-field line in the seventh inning. Russell Branyan walked and Jose Cruz Jr. hit a sacrifice bunt before Blum, hitting for Young, hit a sacrifice fly down the right-field line to score Greene.

Giants slugger Barry Bonds went 0-for-2 with two walks and remains 21 homers shy of breaking Hank Aaron's record of 755.

Hoffman pitched the ninth for his second save in as many chances and extended his career record to 484.

Mets 11, Phillies 5

All-Star shortstop Jimmy Rollins made a key error as New York rallied for seven runs in the eighth inning to win its home opener.

Carlos Delgado had three hits and two RBIs for the Mets, who overcame Ryan Howard's three-run homer and dropped the Phillies to 1-6. Pedro Feliciano (1-0) pitched a perfect eighth for New York.

Rollins, who said during spring training that Philadelphia was the team to beat in the NL East, hit an inning-ending double-play grounder with the bases loaded in the fourth and booted Jose Reyes' grounder in the eighth as the tying run scored.

Geoff Geary (0-1) got the loss.

Cardinals 3, Pirates 0

Albert Pujols doubled and scored the only run needed by Braden Looper (1-1), who allowed two hits over seven innings in only his second start in 574 career appearances.

Pinch-hitter Preston Wilson added a two-run double in the eighth off Damaso Marte after Ian Snell (0-1) limited visiting St. Louis to one run over seven innings.

Jason Isringhausen pitched a perfect ninth for his second save. Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter was placed on the 15-day disabled list after an MRI exam revealed arthritis and a previously undiscovered impingement in his right elbow.

Rockies 6, Dodgers 3

Jeff Francis allowed two runs in 6 2-3 innings to help Colorado snap Los Angeles' four-game winning streak and spoil the Dodgers' home opener.

Garrett Atkins homered and drove in his first three runs of the season for Colorado.

Jason Schmidt (1-1), making his second start for Los Angeles after signing a three-year, $47 million contract in December, left in the fifth with tightness in his right hamstring. He said he just got a little cramp in it.

Dodgers right fielder Matt Kemp came out in the fourth with a sore right shoulder after banging into the auxiliary scoreboard. X-rays on Kemp's shoulder were negative, and he said he doesn't believe he'll be out for more than a couple days.

Francis (1-0) allowed five hits, struck out six and walked three.

Astros 5, Cubs 3

Adam Everett broke a 3-3, eighth-inning tie with a two-run homer off Bob Howry (0-2) in the Wrigley Field home debuts of manager Lou Piniella and center fielder Alfonso Soriano.

Astros starter Woody Williams allowed two runs and six hits in six innings before the Cubs tied it with the unearned run in the seventh off Chad Qualls (1-1).

Dan Wheeler pitched a perfect ninth for his first save in two chances. Wheeler became the Astros closer before the game, replacing struggling Brad Lidge.

Marlins 5, Brewers 3

Miguel Cabrera hit his third homer and drove in three runs, and host Florida beat Milwaukee for the ninth straight time.

Anibal Sanchez (1-0) allowed three runs and eight hits in six innings for the Marlins, and rookie Henry Owens got the last three outs for his first career save.

Free-agent acquisition Jeff Suppan (0-2) lost for the second time in as many starts for the Brewers. He allowed eight hits and five runs in six innings. Geoff Jenkins hit a two-run homer for Milwaukee, which has lost four of five.

Diamondbacks 3, Reds 2

Orlando Hudson hit a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning and host Arizona won its fifth straight game.

With two outs, Hudson hit a 2-1 pitch from Kirk Saarloos (0-1) into the left-field bleachers to break a 2-2 tie.

Brandon Lyon (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth inning, retiring Alex Gonzalez on a liner to center field to leave the bases loaded, and Jose Valverde got three outs for his fourth save in five opportunities. Brandon Phillips flew out to the warning track in left with a runner on first for the final out of the game.