Gavin Sheets hit two of San Diego's four home runs and drove in four runs, and Fernando Tatis Jr. robbed Giant's Rafael Devers of a homer.

A good sign for the Padres beyond their 8-4 victory Thursday was how manager Mike Shildt used his bullpen with his team up four runs against a subpar Giants offense. Shildt deployed only high-leverage arms over the final four innings. This was a public show of good late-season health among four key pitchers.

Through three innings, the Giants positioned themselves to at least salvage a series split. Verlander retired the first nine batters he faced, and rare shoddy defense from right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. paved the way for San Francisco to take a 2-0 lead.

A disastrous fifth inning doomed the Giants in San Francisco's 8-4 loss to the San Diego Padres on Thursday afternoon at Petco Park.

The San Diego Padres took the series over the San Francisco Giants on Thursday, winning three of four games despite playing the entire set without star centerfielder Jackson Merrill. The 22-year-old exited Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers early with a bone bruise in his left ankle, after initially tweaking it a couple of games prior.

Petco park erupted in boos after a security guard brutally tackled a San Diego Padres kid who ran out on the field.

The San Francisco Giants, as expected, officially placed Landen Roupp on the 15-day injured list with left knee inflammation on Friday although there remained no word as to how much time the right-handed starting pitcher might be forced to miss.

The Padres capitalized on some sloppy Giants defense in a win over San Francisco, setting up another 1st place battle with the Dodgers.