Cain throws six innings of hitless ball in Giants loss

Padres 1, Giants 0

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- This was a Petco Park special.

San Diego's Chris Young outdueled San Francisco's Matt Cain, who allowed just one hit in seven innings but lost 1-0 to the Padres on pinch-hitter Geoff Blum's sacrifice fly Monday night.

Power Shortage
The Giants are 1-6 this season and their anemic offense is mostly to blame. In a combined effort, San Franciso has mustered just two homers this season. Seven MLB players have hit more bombs than that individually.
Homers	Player	Team
5	Alex Rodriguez	Yankees
3	Grady Sizemore	Indians
3	Vlad Guerrero	Angels
3	Miguel Cabrera	Marlins
3	Adam Dunn	Reds
3	Jimmy Rollins	Phillies
3	Geoff Jenkins	Brewers

The Padres handed former manager Bruce Bochy another loss, and this one had to hurt.

While the Padres had only two hits, their pitching continued to be lights-out, as Young, Cla Meredith and Trevor Hoffman combined on a five-hitter. San Diego's bullpen extended its season-opening scoreless streak to 20 2/3 innings.

"We've got great character in here and I don't think we're going to panic or worry, especially in close games," Young said. "The way our bullpen is, we feel like if we can keep it close, our bullpen is going to hold it for us, then we'll push across a few runs and win it."

Young (1-0) allowed four hits in seven innings, with five strikeouts and two walks.

The Padres have scheduled a news conference for Tuesday morning at which it's expected they'll announce they've given the 6-foot-10 Young a contract extension.

"You look at the history of Petco Park, we've played a lot of these games over the last three years," right fielder Brian Giles said after the Padres played their fourth straight one-run game at home this season. "You really don't expect that to change."

It was San Diego's third straight win.

The Giants lost their fourth straight and dropped to 1-6. Their only win was in the third game of a season-opening series against the Padres in San Francisco. It was the third time since the Giants moved to San Francisco in 1958 that they lost six of their first seven games. The other two times were 1967 and 1980.

Bochy returned to Petco Park for the first time since jumping from San Diego, where he managed for 12 seasons, to the NL West-rival Giants.

Cain (0-1) held the Padres hitless until Khalil Greene hit a leadoff double down the left-field line in the seventh inning. Russell Branyan walked and Jose Cruz Jr. hit a sacrifice bunt before Blum, hitting for Young, hit a sacrifice fly down the right-field line to score Greene.

"I didn't think much of it until someone yelled something in the fifth or the sixth," said Cain, who threw 98 pitches through six innings. "That was not a big deal. I was worried about keeping guys off base."

He didn't totally succeed, as he walked five, to go along with four strikeouts.

"I think he was effectively wild," Giles said. "It shows you what kind of stuff he has. Anytime you face him, he doesn't have to have his best stuff. He has good enough stuff where he's going to get guys out and keep his team in the ballgame."

Cain said Young "got the big outs when he needed. I wasn't able to do it as well."

After allowing Barry Bonds' first homer of the season last Wednesday, Young helped keep the 42-year-old slugger in the yard Monday night, mainly by not giving him anything to hit. Young twice walked Bonds on four pitches. Bonds also grounded out to shortstop Greene, who was stationed on the other side of second base as part of the "Bonds shift."

Meredith struck out Bonds on three pitches to end the eighth, much to the crowd's delight.

Bonds remains 21 homers shy of breaking Hank Aaron's record of 755.

Hoffman pitched the ninth for his second save in as many chances and extended his career record to 484.

It was the same pitching matchup as last Wednesday, when neither Cain nor Young got a decision in San Diego's 5-3 win at San Francisco. Young allowed a solo homer to Bonds, and Cain allowed homers to Marcus Giles and Greene.

Bonds was booed during pregame introductions, every time he batted and when he took his spot in left field. Several fans in right-center field held up orange cards with asterisks on them every time Bonds batted.

In Bonds' first game in San Diego last season, a fan tossed a large syringe near him as jogged off the field.

Game notes
Bonds said he feels OK a week into the season. "My legs feel good," the 42-year-old slugger said before the game. "My hamstring's a little tight, but that's normal at my age." Bonds, who faces accusations about his alleged steroids use, said he didn't expect fans to treat him any differently on the road than they have in the past. "I'd be disappointed if it was different," he said with a laugh." ... Padres manager Bud Black said he expects righty Clay Hensley to make his scheduled start Tuesday night despite a blister on his right middle finger.