SAN DIEGO -- The Padres are mired in misery. . Matt Cain struck out nine in seven innings to win his sixth straight start and Buster Posey, Angel Pagan and Gregor Blanco homered at Petco Park to lead the San Francisco Giants over San Diego 8-3 Thursday. Ryan Theriot had four hits for the Giants, who committed four errors but won for the ninth time in 11 games. San Francisco took two of three from the Padres (19-39), who have the worst record in the big leagues. San Diego also loaded the bases in the eighth and ninth, and failed to score. In the last two games, the Padres had the bases loaded four times -- twice with no outs -- and scored only one run. The Padres stranded 13 runners Thursday. The Padres are 20 games under .500 and 18 games out of first place. They were just 5 for 36 with runners in scoring position this series, including 2 for 15 on Thursday. "We have a pretty strong group in there," manager Bud Black said. "We come to play every day. We talk about it, they talk about it. They have a lot of pride. I think that is evident by the way they run the bases, running out balls, diving and trying to make plays. Right not its just not happening for us." Leading 4-3, Cain loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth on two singles and an error on third baseman Joaquin Arias. Cain escaped the jam by getting pinch-hitter Mark Kotsay to fly out to left and Cameron Maybin to hit into a double play. "We had a shot there to turn the tables and we didnt," Black said. Cain (7-2) allowed seven hits and three runs -- none earned -- while walking one. Three of San Franciscos 15 hits were homers. Posey hit a leadoff shot in the third off Padres newcomer Jason Marquis, driving a 2-0 pitch off the third-floor balcony of the Western Metal Supply Co. brick warehouse in the left-field corner for a 4-0 lead and his seventh homer. Pagan extended his hitting streak to 15 games when he homered to right on a 3-2 pitch from Brad Brach with one out in the seventh. Melky Cabrera was aboard on a leadoff single. Gregor Blanco hit a solo shot to right with two outs in the eighth off Alex Hinshaw. Blanco went 7 for 15 in the three-game series, with two homers, a triple and two doubles, and he scored six runs. San Francisco scored two runs off three hits and Marquis throwing error in the first. Posey had an RBI single and Brandon Belt an RBI double. Marquis (0-1) allowed four runs, two earned, on nine hits in six innings. He struck out six and walked one. Marquis was promoted from Double-A San Antonio. He signed a minor league contract on May 29. He started the season with Minnesota. "I made a few mistakes and I paid for it," Marquis said. "For the most part, I felt good and settled in and got into a rhythm. Toward the third inning I made my pitches when I needed to. Obviously, it was too late by then to get a W." San Diego scored three unearned runs in the third, when the Giants committed two errors. Marquis hit a leadoff single and Maybin reached when Pagan, the centre fielder, dropped his fly ball. Marquis scored on Yonder Alonsos one-out grounder when second baseman Theriot made an errant throw home and Chase Headley followed with a two-run double. Headley and Everth Cabrera had three hits apiece for San Diego. NOTES: To make room for Marquis, LHP Eric Stults was placed on the 15-day DL, retroactive to Tuesday, with a strained muscle in his shoulder. The Padres also transferred SS Jason Bartlett from the 15-day to the 60-day DL. Stults was hurt during a bullpen session. ... Reliever Andrew Cashner is scheduled to start in Stults spot Saturday at Milwaukee. ... The Giants return home to host the Texas Rangers for three games. Friday nights scheduled starters are Matt Harrison (7-3, 4.37 ERA) for Texas and Barry Zito (5-2, 2.98) in a matchup of lefties. ... The Padres open a series at Milwaukee on Friday, when Edinson Volquez (2-5, 3.42) is scheduled to oppose RHP Shaun Marcum (4-3, 3.39). [url=http://www.ramsofficialteamstore.com/autographed-matt-giordano-jersey-id-26... Giordano Jersey . And Jim Johnson is the biggest reason for the success of that bullpen. Johnson set a franchise record with his major league-leading 46th save and the Orioles beat the Boston Red Sox 4-2 on Friday night to remain one game behind the first-place New York Yankees. . -- After two disappointing performances from Mac Carruth let the Kamloops Blazers back into their series with the Portland, the Winterhawks goaltender came through when his team needed him most. [url=http://www.ramsofficialteamstore.com/autographed-greg-zuerlein-jersey-xs-46... . Two goals by Argentina striker Federico Higuain, including a 62nd-minute penalty winner, gave the Columbus Crew a sloppy 2-1 victory over Toronto, extending TFCs winless streak to 14 on a raw, wet Fan Appreciation Day at Crew Stadium. [url=http://www.ramsofficialteamstore.com/autographed-chris-long-jersey-si-79.ht... Long Jersey . Fortunately for the Atlanta Braves right-hander, his poor start was merely a footnote in an otherwise uplifting performance that produced a 3-2 victory over the Washington Nationals on Sunday. . Rangers, in bankruptcy protection because of tax debts exceeding $30 million, is now set to visit grounds with seats for just a few hundred fans next season.SAN DIEGO -- Eric Stults appreciated the support his bullpen gave him, especially since he was just one of them. Stults, elevated from the bullpen to the starting rotation, combined with four relievers on a five-hitter Monday night, lifting the San Diego Padres to a 2-0 victory over the slumping Chicago Cubs. Stults (2-2) allowed all five hits 5 1-3 innings in his first start since June 3. He struck out five, walked two and had a wild pitch. "Any time as a starter, when you leave the game with a lead, I feel pretty confident," Stults said about the Padres bullpen. Brad Brach, Dale Thayer, Luke Gregerson and Huston Street combined for 3 2-3 innings without allowing a hit to finish San Diegos seventh shutout. "Those guys make it easy to catch," Padres catcher Eddie Rodriguez said. "They were really unbelievable." Street pitched the ninth for his 19th save. "Those guys, they come to pitch," Padres manager Bud Black said. "There is a resiliency and a mindset that you come to pitch." Yonder Alonso and Everth Cabrera both drove in a run and the Padres won for just the fourth time in 10 games. Chicago lost its sixth straight. Carlos Quentin reached on a one-out double in the fourth inning and scored on Alonsos single. After Cameron Maybin doubled, Alonso scored when Cabreras soft liner deflected off the glove of second baseman Darwin Barney for an infield single. Chicago was not able to take advantage of the few scoring chances it had, going 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and stranding seven runners overall. Stults, who last pitched in relief on Thursday, struggled with his command in the first inning. He allowed Barneys one-out double, then walked Alfonso Soriano with two outs before striking out Starlin Castro. "That first inning was bad, kind of a grind," Stults said. "I threw a lot more pitches than I wanted to. After that I was able to get some quick outs." Travis Wood (4-8) allowed two runs and five hits over six innings as he extended his career-high with his fifth straight loss. [url=http://www.ramsofficialteamstore.com/autographed-tavon-austin-jersey-zq-89.... Austin Jersey. The left-hander struck out three and walked three. "(Monday) was another grind," Wood said. "I was behind a lot of hitters but I was able to pitch out of a lot of stuff. We just came up a little bit short." The Cubs two prized prospects -- Brett Jackson and Josh Vitters -- both started and had tough nights. Jackson, who got two hits in his major league debut Sunday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, struck out four times. Vitters, who also debuted Sunday as a pinch-hitter, was 0-for-4, including a groundout to end the sixth inning with runners at second and third. "A tough day for the kids," Cubs manager Dale Sveum said. "Thats what theyre here for, to see this kind of pitching and make those adjustments." Since his last start, Stults spent time on the disabled list with a strained left lat and made his last four appearances out of the bullpen. He was inserted into the rotation after Kip Wells was designated for assignment on Friday. NOTES: Cubs RHP Matt Garza (right elbow stress) was placed on the 15-day DL and will be out "indefinitely," according to GM Jed Hoyer. . San Diego has won eight times in its last 10 home games. . Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo made his return to San Diego for the first time since the Padres dealt him to Chicago for RHP Andrew Cashner in a four-player deal in January. Rizzo, who went 0-for-4, was the centerpiece for San Diego in the four-player deal when he was acquired from Boston for 1B Adrian Gonzalez before the 2011 season. But after his highly anticipated arrival in San Diego in June 2011, the lefty hit just .141 with one home run and nine RBIs in 128 at-bats. Asked before the game if spacious Petco Park had anything to do with his poor offensive showing, Rizzo said, "The ballpark could have been a T-ball field and I wouldnt have hit the ball. I just wasnt hitting the ball.". Cubs LHP Brooks Raley will make his major league debut on Tuesday night against LHP Ross Ohlendorf (3-2, 6.27 ERA). ' ' '