» GIANTS HIT AWAY TO BEAT PADRES

SAN DIEGO — During their first four road games of the season, the San Francisco Giants' offense mustered just two runs, both coming on solo homers from Joe Panik.

In the first inning of Thursday night's series-opener in San Diego, San Francisco scored three times, setting the stage for an offensive outburst in a 7-0 win.

The Giants' cause was aided by starter Chris Stratton, who set a career-high with seven innings of scoreless ball before reliever Derek Law took it the rest of the way.

The milestone was an important hurdle for Stratton to clear as the right-hander had three separate outings that lasted 6 and 2/3 innings over the final two months of last season. The former first round draft pick benefitted from pitching with the lead all night, as San Francisco provided Stratton with a comfortable cushion early before blowing the game open in the sixth inning.

After scoring three runs in the opening frame, the Giants greeted San Diego Padres reliever Colten Brewer with a punch to the gut in his Major League debut, capitalizing on San Diego's mistakes that left the rookie vulnerable in the top of the sixth.

With the bases loaded and two out, Andrew McCutchen hit a hard chopper to third baseman Christian Villanueva who promptly threw the ball past Eric Hosmer, allowing two runs to score. The next hitter, Buster Posey, extended his 10-game hit streak with a two-run double down the left field line to push the Giants ahead 7-0.