Shaun Anderson. Cody Glenn-USA TODAY Sports
Shaun Anderson’s arm leading the Giants to a victory is not all that shocking.
Padres arms assisting the cause is less expected.
San Diego threw the ball all around the field, committing three errors that helped make Anderson a winner in the Giants’ 4-2 victory at Oracle Park on Wednesday, sweeping a brief two-game series before hosting the Brewers on Friday.
The Giants (28-38) may have something in Anderson. The team’s No. 4 prospect was at times wild, at times overpowering but overall solid for a third straight outing. In lowering his ERA to 3.97, the 24-year-old went six innings and allowed two runs, scattering four hits and three walks. He struck out six and got a career-high 10 swinging strikes.
He got some help from Sam Dyson, Tony Watson and Will Smith, who all pitched scoreless innings to close it out. But he got a lot of help from San Diego, too, to improve to 2-1.
The Giants took control in the bottom of the fifth, when the Padres looked like the team that entered play 11 games under .500. Down 2-1, Steven Duggar led off by grounding one that shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. dove for and corralled, but then bounced into the stands behind first base, putting Duggar at second. Anderson couldn’t help himself, striking out, before Donovan Solano blooped a hit between Tatis and left fielder Josh Naylor, scoring Duggar to tie the game, 2-2.
Naylor picked up the blooper and threw it wayward trying to get Solano at first. Solano was advanced all the way to third, umpires ruling first baseman Eric Hosmer interfered with him and the throwing error accounting for two bases. Brandon Belt followed with a walk, and Evan Longoria shot one into the gap at shortstop. Tatis did well to stop the ball, but he couldn’t get the force at second, and Solano scored to get the Giants on top, 3-2.
The Giants tacked on another run in the seventh, when Solano doubled to left to score Duggar, putting the Giants up 4-2.
The Padres manufactured a run without a hit in the fifth, a leadoff walk to Manuel Margot burning Anderson. San Diego put on a hit-and-run with Tatis, who bounced out, but Margot advanced all the way to third. Naylor followed with a grounder to second that scored Margot, a run without the ball leaving the infield.
Anderson got assists from the wall and an outfielder in the first and second innings. The second batter of the game, Naylor, hit one to deep right-center that bounded off the top of the fence and back in play. It went for a double, and eventually an inning-ending double play would bail the Giants out without surrendering a run.
Kevin Pillar, who had just made a remarkable running grab, homered in the second to bump the Giants up, 1-0.