SAN DIEGO – John Buck homered twice and Aaron Hill had three doubles and three RBIs to lead the Toronto Blue Jays to a 6-3 win over the San Diego Padres on Monday night as Jon Garland struggled on three days’ rest.
Play stopped momentarily in the eighth inning as Petco Park swayed during an earthquake. David Eckstein had just grounded out in the bottom of the inning when the stadium began shaking. The next batter, Chase Headley, stayed out of the batter’s box for a few seconds, then stepped in.
The public address announcer asked that everyone remain calm. The crowd cheered.
Buck hit a two-run shot off Garland in Toronto’s four-run second, and a leadoff drive against Sean Gallagher in the eighth, giving him 11 this season. It was his eighth multihomer game of his career and third this season.
The Blue Jays had lost six of seven, a span in which they were outscored 41-13.
Hill hit a two-run double with two outs in the second to give the Blue Jays a 4-0 lead against Garland (6-5), who was pitching on short rest after starting the second game of a doubleheader at the New York Mets on Thursday night.
Garland threw 26 pitches in the first inning and 34 in the second. He allowed Lyle Overbay’s single ahead of Buck’s homer to left. He walked Blue Jays starter Shaun Marcum with two outs and allowed DeWayne Wise’s double ahead of Hill’s double to right.
Garland struck out seven and walked four, throwing 114 pitches in five innings.
Marcum (6-3) allowed solo homers by Jerry Hairston Jr. and Adrian Gonzalez among his six hits in seven innings. He yielded three runs, two earned, while improving to 6-1 in eight starts after Blue Jays losses.
Hairston homered off the balcony on the third level of the Western Metal Supply Co. brick warehouse in the left-field corner leading off the third, his fourth. Gonzalez hit an opposite-field shot to left leading off the fourth, his 15th.
Kevin Gregg pitched the ninth for his 16th save in 19 chances.
Hill also had an RBI double in the sixth.
NOTES: San Diego’s Yorvit Torrealba was ejected in the ninth for arguing with umpire Larry Vanover after taking a called third strike. … Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston was part of one of the most infamous games in Padres history. On July 21, 1970, manager Preston Gomez pulled Clay Kirby after eight no-hit innings against the New York Mets. With the Padres trailing 1-0, Gomez had Gaston hit for Kirby. “I wasn’t sure if they were booing me or Preston,” Gaston recalled before Monday night’s game. “I think I struck out. That made it even worse.” Jack Baldschum allowed a single to open the ninth and the Padres went on to lose 3-0. San Diego is one of three big league teams without a no-hitter. … Padres manager Bud Black said SS Everth Cabrera, on the disabled list for the second time this season with a strained right hamstring, is likely to go out on a three-game minor league rehab assignment later this week.
