Latos gives up 2 homers to Beltran in Padres’ loss

September 14, 2011|Janie McCauley, AP Baseball Writer

San Francisco Giants Pablo Sandoval, right, celebrates with Eli Whiteside… (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu )

Mat Latos hardly considered it a bad day even if he watched two home runs by Carlos Beltran sail over the right-field wall.

The way Latos started this season, small strides are noteworthy.

Beltran connected twice to give him 300 career homers, helping Tim Lincecum end a three-start winless stretch in the San Francisco Giants’ 3-1 win over Latos and the San Diego Padres on Wednesday to complete a rare sweep in this rivalry.

The 23-year-old Latos began the year on the disabled list and then lost his first five decisions.

“Things have come together from the total pitching fundamentals side,’’ Padres manager Bud Black said. “He’s throwing his off-speed pitches for strikes. He’s commanding his fastball better. The walks are down, strikeouts are up. He’s holding runners better. He’s doing some things that equate to better outings. That’s what we’re seeing out there, that’s what we are seeing out of Mat for the last three weeks or month.’’

Beltran homered in the first inning and again in the sixth with a splash hit into McCovey Cove to put the Giants ahead. It marked the slugger’s 30th career multihomer game, third this year and first since joining San Francisco in a trade from the Mets on July 28.

“Beltran is one of the best players in the National League. And he’s got that in him,’’ Black said.

Lincecum (13-12) outdueled Latos (7-14) for his first win since beating the Padres on Aug. 24.

The defending World Series champion Giants began the day trailing the first-place Diamondbacks by 8 ½ games in the NL West. Arizona had a night game at Los Angeles.

San Francisco has its first four-game winning streak since July 9-15.

Lincecum allowed four hits and an unearned run while striking out six and walking two in seven innings as the Giants wrapped up their first winning home series in the last eight sets since taking two of three against Milwaukee from July 22-24. September call-up Hector Sanchez caught Lincecum for the first time.

“A lot of credit goes to Sanchez for making adjustments from our first inning on,’’ Lincecum said.

After Dan Runzler walked pinch-hitter Chris Denorfia to start the eighth, Sergio Romo relieved and retired the side in order. He pumped his fist after striking out Cameron Maybin to end the inning. Santiago Casilla finished with a 1-2-3 ninth for his third save.

San Diego, which dropped its fourth straight this season at AT&T Park and sixth in seven games, was swept in a series of three or more games against the Giants for the first time since Aug. 22-24, 2008. This was San Francisco’s first sweep this year since taking three in a row June 24-26 from Cleveland.

It was largely because of Beltran.