Managing to avoid a home sweep, the Giants topped the Padres 3-0 on Sunday to win the NL West title. They’ll face the wild card Braves in the NLDS. Had the Padres won today, it would have forced two one-game playoffs, with the loser of Monday’s Giants-Padres game facing the Braves on Tuesday. The Giants, though, managed to quiet San Diego’s mediocre lineup. Jonathan Sanchez walked five, but pitched five scoreless innings anyway, and Santiago Casilla and Brian Wilson came through with strong showings in relief. The Padres’ got a nice performance from the struggling Mat Latos, but they couldn’t put together any rallies even after getting two men on in both the sixth and seventh innings. Buster Posey hit a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth to provide the Giants with an insurance run. With the Giants’ victory, the NL East champion Phillies and NL Central champion Reds will face off in the other divisional series.
Giants survive, eliminate Padres as NL postseason picture settled
Published October 3, 2010 03:10 PM