SAN FRANCISCO - Drew Gilbert almost stole a game the San Francisco Giants had spent seven innings giving away.
Gilbert went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in the eighth - his ninth of the season, per ESPN's box - as San Francisco cut a 7-3 deficit to 7-6 before Mason Miller closed out a San Diego Padres win on Saturday at Oracle Park, the Associated Press reported. Christian Koss had singled ahead of Gilbert's drive.
Drew Cavanaugh had already led off the inning with his first career homer.
The late surge followed an early lead that did not hold. Rafael Devers hit a two-run homer in the first, his 37th of the season and seventh of September, and Shay Whitcomb added a solo shot in the second for a 3-2 edge. Michael King then settled in.
The Padres scored in five straight innings from the second through the sixth, with Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr. going deep and Xander Bogaerts collecting four hits, per the AP.
Eighth-inning answer, ninth-inning silence
Bradgley Rodriguez faced three hitters in the eighth and allowed three runs on three hits, including Cavanaugh's and Gilbert's homers. Adrian Morejon struck out Devers and Bryce Eldridge to stop the bleeding. Miller worked a clean ninth for his 36th save, striking out two.
Gilbert had also singled in the first and scored on Devers' homer. His eighth-inning swing was the louder bookend: a two-run shot that put the tying run on deck and the crowd back into a game that had tilted toward San Diego for an hour. ESPN's line shows two hits, two runs and two RBI.
Cesar Perdomo (0-1), in his second career start, allowed five runs on 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings. King (11-9) worked seven innings and allowed three runs. The Giants finished with eight hits and four home runs; the Padres had 13 hits.
