Mat Latos wins pitching duel vs. Sanchez and Giants, 1-0; Padres pull into first-place tie

Latos wins pitching duel vs. Sanchez, Giants

SAN DIEGO — Mat Latos prevailed in a pitching duel with Jonathan Sanchez, and the San Diego Padres beat the San Francisco Giants 1-0 on Tuesday night despite getting just one hit.

San Diego pulled even with the Giants atop the NL West, the first time the Padres have been in first place since April 18, 2009. They won their fifth straight game while the Giants lost their third straight.

Latos (1-1) and Sanchez (1-1) both went seven innings and retired their final 12 batters. Sanchez, who no-hit the Padres on July 10 in San Francisco, struck out 10 while allowing one run. He gave up only Chase Headley’s fourth-inning single and walked three.

Mike Adams relieved Latos to open the eighth and allowed Nate Schierholtz’s triple to left-center on his second pitch. Schierholtz was stranded as Adams retired Eli Whiteside on a grounder to third, pinch-hitter Bengie Molina on a popup and struck out Eugenio Velez.

Heath Bell pitched the ninth for his fourth save in five chances. Pablo Sandoval walked and took third on Aubrey Huff’s single to center with one out before being stranded on Juan Uribe’s fly to right and John Bowker’s strikeout to end the game.

Latos had lost five straight decisions dating to Aug. 14. He got off to a shaky start, walking Velez on four straight pitches, then throwing two more balls to Edgar Renteria. Latos got out of that inning, pitched a 1-2-3 third, then allowed Whiteside’s ground-rule double leading off the third. Latos fielded Sanchez’s bunt and threw out Whiteside at third.

Headley stole a career-high three bases for San Diego, giving him five in two nights.

Headley singled leading off the fourth, stole second, advanced on Kyle Blanks’ foul pop that Huff, the first baseman, caught as he went tumbling into the first-base photo well, and scored on Scott Hairston’s sacrifice fly to right.

Sanchez had an interesting second — a walk, strikeout, walk, strikeout, then an intentional walk to Everth Cabrera to bring up Latos, who struck out.

It was the second consecutive impressive start for Sanchez. He held Pittsburgh to three hits in eight shutout innings while striking out 11 in a 6-0 win last Wednesday.

NOTES: It was NFL QB night at the ballyard: Philip Rivers of the Chargers sat in the second row behind home plate with two of his daughters, and Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers sat in a nearby section. Rodgers lives in nearby Del Mar in the offseason. … The last Padres player to steal three bases in a game was Dave Roberts on May 8, 2006, against the Chicago Cubs.