Giants’ Bumgarner stymies Padres

Lefty takes no-hitter into seventh, improves to 3-1

SAN FRANCISCO — Left-hander Madison Bumgarner took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and combined with two relievers on a two-hit shutout Monday night as the San Francisco Giants beat the San Diego Padres 2-0 in the opener of a three-game National League West series.

Center fielder Angel Pagan’s RBI single highlighted a two-run third inning against Padres righthander Tyson Ross (1-3), providing Bumgarner all the offensive support he would need in avenging a 10-2 drubbing at the hands of San Diego on April 11.

Coming off a three-game inter- league sweep of the Los Angeles Angels, the Giants (13-13) won a fourth straight game for the first time this season and reached .500 for the first time since the first week of the season.

The Giants have now won seven in a row at home.

Bumgarner (3-1) dominated a Padres team that had beaten the Giants three of four in San Diego in early April. The Padres entered the game hitting .296 against left-handed pitchers, the second-best mark in the National League.

But the Padres didn’t have any hits off Bumgarner, the reigning World Series Most Valuable Player, until left fielder Justin Upton led off the seventh with a soft liner over the head of Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford for a single.

A single by first baseman Yangervis Solarte put the poten- tial tying runs on base with no outs in the seventh, but Bumgarner retired the next three batters in order, two on strikeouts.

He left after striking out pinch-hitter Austin Hedges, making his major-league debut, to start the eighth. Right-handers Sergio Romo and Santiago Casilla got the final five outs without allowing a hit.

Bumgarner allowed only the two hits in his 7 1/3 shutout innings. He walked one and struck out six.

Casilla, who pitched the ninth inning and survived the Giants’ fourth error of the night, recorded his eighth save.

Pagan and first baseman Brandon Belt had two hits apiece for the Giants, who totaled eight hits.

Ross gave up two runs on seven hits in seven innings for the Padres, who were playing the opener of a nine-game road trip.