Zito relieves, Maddux pinch runs as Pads finish sweep

Padres 5, Giants 4

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The Barry Bonds circus finally got a day off.

Barry Zito and Greg Maddux had to work.

While Bonds sat out to enjoy the record-tying 755th career homer he hit the night before, his San Francisco Giants lost 5-4 to the San Diego Padres in a game that was anything but routine.

Both starters left with injuries. The Padres needed Maddux, the 41-year-old right-hander with Hall of Fame credentials, to pinch-run. The Giants turned to struggling ace Zito for one inning, making the 2002 AL Cy Young winner a $126 million reliever for at least a day.

With Bonds getting a well-earned chance to rest, there was much less buzz at Petco Park than there was the night before.

Bonds sat in the dugout in the ninth inning, resting his chin on the knob of his bat.

Manager Bruce Bochy was considering using Bonds as a pinch-hitter if the pitcher's spot had come up in the ninth, but it didn't as a rally fell short.

The skipper had hoped to stay away from using his slugger completely, because Bonds needed the rest after nine straight starts. Plus, he now gets the chance to break Aaron's record at home beginning Monday night when the Giants face Washington Nationals rookie left-hander John Lannan.

It looked like the Padres' offense was going to take the day off, too, before scrapping together enough to finish the three-game sweep. The Padres have won five straight against the Giants and Bochy, who managed San Diego the previous 12 seasons before jumping to NL West rival San Francisco.

The Padres showed their versatility.

"We've got a lot of guys who can do things," said Geoff Blum, an infielder who started in left field because Milton Bradley and Scott Hairston are hurt. "I think the willingness to go do it is another thing. I think it says a lot about the character of this ballclub that we're going to go out there and do whatever we can as a ballclub to win some ballgames."

The two-time defending NL West champions need to, since they're 1 1/2 games behind Arizona.

Maddux, who kept Bonds hitless on Friday night, came in to run after pinch-hitter Brian Giles had an RBI fielder's choice in the sixth. Giles is coming off a sprained ankle that has kept him out of the starting lineup for four straight games. Maddux was stranded at second.

On Saturday night, ace Jake Peavy had to pinch-hit in San Diego's 3-2, 12-inning win.

Manager Bud Black recounted a conversation he had with Maddux in the dugout.

"He said, 'Are you going to need me to run?' I paused for a minute and he said, 'You're probably going to need Peavy's bat.'

"He's as observant and into the game as any starting pitcher I've been around. He gets it," Black said.

Maddux knew that the Padres had hobbled position players who could hit but not run.

"You ain't going to run Boomer," Maddux said about big lefty starter David Wells. "Peavy's too good. What else are you going to do? Save a player. Why not? What am I going to do, pinch-hit?"

Zito, meanwhile, relieved for the first time in 245 career appearances. Zito, who went to high school in San Diego, is just 8-10 with a 5.12 ERA after signing the richest contract ever for a pitcher.

Zito retired the Padres in order in the seventh.

Bochy asked Zito before the game if he'd be willing to pitch an inning in relief if needed.

"He seemed excited about it," Bochy said.

Zito last pitched in relief during the Triple-A playoffs in 1999, the year before he made his big league debut with Oakland.

"My routine's no more important than anyone else's," the 29-year-old lefty said. "People assume it would affect me, but no. It's fun to go out and help the team on a day I came to the yard and didn't think I would. I think the intensity is a little higher as a reliever. It was pretty good out there. It was fun."

Reliever Jack Taschner was impressed.

"They came to him and he could have easily said 'No.' Obviously he's the money guy, the franchise guy. Instead of throwing a side, he played catch. He picked up a huge inning."

Trevor Hoffman pitched the ninth for his 29th save in 31 chances, extending his career record to 511. It was his 24th straight save.

Bengie Molina hit a pinch-hit two-run homer with one out in the ninth, but Hoffman struck out Randy Winn with the tying run on first for the final out.

Slumping second baseman Marcus Giles drove in two runs for San Diego and Mike Cameron, batting leadoff, reached base three times, including on an RBI double in the eighth.

Fred Lewis filled in for Bonds in left field and hit an RBI double off Justin Germano in the second. Winn drove in a run with a fielder's choice in the fifth.

Giants starter Noah Lowry left because of tightness in his left forearm after three innings and the game tied at 1. He was replaced by Taschner to start the fourth.

San Diego's Justin Germano left in the sixth after getting hit on the right thumb by Pedro Feliz's comebacker. The nail was pushed up a bit and he bled, but Germano is probable to make his scheduled start Friday night at Cincinnati.

Germano was replaced by Doug Brocail (4-1). Vinnie Chulk (4-3) took the loss.

Game notes
RHP Clay Hensley, who allowed Bonds' 755th homer, was optioned to Triple-A Portland before the game and replaced on the roster by RHP Mike Thompson. The Padres needed a fresh arm after using all seven relievers in Saturday night's 3-2, 12-inning win.