Pen gives mighty effort but Giants still win

Madison Bumgarner has career ownage over San Diego at AT&T Park. Monday night was no exception. Of course, that ownage doesn't extend to the bullpen.

This guy ain't half bad. We see potential.(SF Chronicle)

The Padres dealt out freebies, Bumgarner was great, and the bullpen was horrifying as San Francisco opened a three game set with a 5-4 nail-biter win.

Friars starter Drew Pomeranz gave up a walk and hit in the first, but it was one inning later that San Diego generosity was felt. A walk to Brandon Belt (one of four in the game), a passed ball (one of two), a wild pitch (two of those)  and an Angel Pagan two-out single gave the Giants a 1-0 lead.

It lasted one out. A fly ball to open the San Diego third was lost in the lights/wins/dusk/unicorn glitter by Hunter Pence and played into a double. John Jay singled to cash it in and tie the score.

Pence made up for it leading off the fourth, going yard for the second consecutive game by golfing a 

Pomeranz breaker deep down the left field line.Two outs later Pagan worked Pomeranz, who was approaching 90 pitches, for nine tosses -- roping the last into the left field corner to bring home Belt for a 3-1 edge.

There was more in the fifth. Joe Panik singled, took 90 feet on a Posey base hit and 90 more on a passed ball  (detect a trend?), then scored on a fly ball.

Bumgarner had been cruising but his pitch count began to rise as well. Matt Kemp doubled and scored in the sixth as MadBum rolled into triple digits. He'd finish the frame with 101 tosses and a 4-2 lead. He'd trudge on, greeting two outs in the seventh before a walk signaled his departure after 114 throws. Corey Gearrin needed just two pitches to close Bumgarner's book.

Yeah that's what is looks like when Buster busts one. (SF Chronicle)

Posey charged up the faithful with some insurance in the bottom half when he worked reliever Carlos Villanueva to 3-0, shook his head in disgust as two low breakers were called strikes, then launched the third successive curve over the Chevron cars for a 5-2 lead.

They'd need that run because the bullpen was, once again, awful. Heck, they've been more abused that Pablo Sandoval's belt. One of the worst offenders has been Hunter Strickland, who saw three of the four men he faced reach base. Derek Law, Josh Osich and Santiago Casilla also toiled as the Padres scored twice, with Strickland tagged for both.

Casilla? Jeez, there hasn't been a save opportunity in so long we forgot he was on the team.

The Giants got one run back in the bottom of the eighth when Panik tripled with two down and Matt Kemp's sliding catch of Matt Duffy's liner was overturned.

Scratch that. The catch (ahem) withstood review, replay again proved to be a joke, and the Giants got screwed. Apparently grass is part of the glove. Although to be fair, it was 2 am on the East Coast. The review ump was likely asleep or in the can,

Casilla got his 100th career save but made it interesting, going 3-0 on John Jay before striking him out, surviving a contested play at first base so obvious fans would torched the Embarcadro had it gone against SF -- and giving up a two-out single to Kemp before ending it.

Six Giants pitchers surrendered 11 its and walked two, notching 14 strikeouts including one by Bumgarner. Frighteningly, four of those pitchers were needed just to get through the eighth inning. Giants hitters managed 12 hits, with Panik and Pagan getting three apiece and Posey adding two.

The Giants climbed to 10-11, leap frogging Colorado for third place. San Francisco is 1 1/2 games behind  NL West-leading LA, a 3-2 loser to Miami on Monday.

The swing game of the series is Tuesday night with Johnny Cueto (3-1, 3.48 ERA) against James Shields (0-3, 4.15). A win would also bring the Giants back to .500 for the first time since April 18.

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