Webb strong for 8 innings, Giants edge Padres 2-1

SAN FRANCISCO -- — Logan Webb pitched four-hit ball over eight innings and Luke Williams doubled home the only runs he needed as the San Francisco Giants beat the San Diego Padres 2-1 Wednesday.

Webb (1-0), who emerged as the Giants’ ace last season, allowed one run. He retired 22 of the final 24 hitters he faced, striking out seven and walking none in a game that wrapped in 2 hours, 11 minutes.

The eight innings pitched were a career high. Through his first two starts, Webb has surrendered two runs over 14 innings.

“He was fantastic,” Padres manager Bob Melvin said. “He’s a No. 1 starter for a reason on a really good team. He’s got a really good sinker, really good changeup off that and a good breaking ball. Once he got past the first inning he really got into a rhythm.”

San Diego lefty Sean Manaea (1-1) was also stingy, holding San Francisco to two runs over six innings of four-hit ball. But Williams’ two-run double in the second erased a 1-0 San Diego lead and wound up being the deciding hit.

Williams said the game plan against Manaea was to target pitches low in the zone.

“The first pitch was a ball, but I was kind of able to see that spot where I wanted to hit it,” Williams said. “The second pitch, he threw it right there, just a little more middle, and I put it in play.”

Aware that he was on a pitch count of 90-95, Webb lobbied Giants pitching coach Andrew Bailey for a chance to go deep in the game. His previous career high was 7 1/3 innings.

“I told Bails before, ‘If I’m kinda cruisin’, let me pitch the eighth’ because I know I haven’t finished the eighth, so I was wanting to do that,” Webb said.

The Padres threatened in the ninth against Giants reliever Camilo Doval. Jake Cronenworth reached on a one-out infield single, Eric Hosmer walked with two outs and Doval hit Jurickson Profar to load the bases.

But Doval struck out pinch hitter Matt Beaty on an off-speed pitch to close out his first save.

The Giants captured a series that featured plenty of tension. Melvin was not pleased Tuesday night when the Giants stole a base and bunted for a single while leading by a wide margin. That contributed to a yelling match between Padres third base coach Mike Shildt and Giants first base coach Antoan Richardson, with Richardson saying Shildt made comments that had “undertones of racism.”

Richardson and Shildt patched things up in a Wednesday morning conversation and hugged on the field.

“I don’t believe he’s a racist,” said Richardson, who is Black. “I think, though, to the important point, he’s recognizing that some of his words, our words, are powerful and they’re impactful. And we just want to bring awareness to a situation that I think is important for our community.”

Shildt, who is white, acknowledged he used inappropriate language and said he appreciated Richardson saying he was not a racist.

San Diego got to Webb for a run in the first. Manny Machado doubled with one out and Cronenworth drove him in with a triple over the head of right fielder Heliot Ramos.

But that was it, as Webb allowed just one base runner between the first and seventh innings. He pumped his arms triumphantly as he walked off the mound in the eighth following a strikeout of Padres leadoff man Trent Grisham, his final hitter.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Padres: RHP Austin Adams was placed on the 10-day IL with a right forearm strain and RHP Pedro Avila was recalled from Triple-A El Paso. ... LHP Blake Snell, dealing with an adductor injury, did not throw his scheduled bullpen session Wednesday. A decision on his next start has not been announced.

Giants: Right-handed reliever John Brebbia was reinstated from the bereavement list and RHP Yunior Marte was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento.

UP NEXT

Padres: San Diego begins a 10-game homestand Thursday against Atlanta, with RHP Joe Musgrove (0-0, 3.00 ERA) taking the hill.

Giants: San Francisco opens a three-game series at Cleveland on Friday behind LHP Carlos Rodon (0-0, 1.80).

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