Giants Edge Padres To Stay Top In Tight Division

The San Francisco Giants fought back to record an 8-7 road win against the San Diego Padres on Saturday and maintain their slim lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers in a tight National League West.

Los Angeles (66-55) earlier took down the Atlanta Braves 6-2 before the Giants rallied from 4-1 down against the Padres in San Diego to claim the win and stay half-a-game ahead.

The Padres (52-70) fans sensed an upset when Chase Headley powered his 20th home run of the season, a three run shot in the bottom of the third, to set up the 4-1 lead.

But Marco Scutaro, Pablo Sandoval, Hunter Pence and Joaquin Arias all helped men home for the Giants in a momentum-shifting fifth inning.

Carlos Quentin homered for the home side in the sixth to tie things up at 5-5, but Buster Posey drove in Scutaro with a sacrifice fly and Arias drove Sandoval home with a timely single in the seventh to regain the lead for the Giants.

Posey and Pence then struck back-to-back doubles in the ninth to stretch the lead to 8-5.

The Padres almost pulled the game from the fire with two runs in the bottom of the ninth when down to their last out but fell just short.