SAN DIEGO _ If Sunday was supposed to feel any different for Bruce Bochy and Madison Bumgarner, neither the Giants' manager nor the team's sturdy ace provided any indication.
The Giants' series finale and last game at Petco Park this season marked the end of the road in San Diego for Bochy, who led the Padres from 1995-2006 and plans to retire at the end of his 25th year as a major league manager.
The rubber match between the Giants and Padres could wind up being the final chapter for Bumgarner as a Giant, as the left-hander has been discussed as one of the top trade candidates who could be on the move this week.
A month ago, the manager and his starter might have been open to more reflection on what the possible conclusion of their individual journeys mean to them. But after a ridiculously hot stretch that continued with a 7-6 victory on Sunday, all Bochy and Bumgarner are focused on is the Giants' playoff chances.
With two outs in the ninth inning, closer Will Smith gave up a two-run home run to Padres first baseman Wil Myers. Smith hung on for his 26th save of the season and helped the Giants clinch their seventh one-run win in a row.
The Giants (54-52) wrapped up their seventh consecutive series victory Sunday, relying on seven strong innings from Bumgarner and an impressive showing from the unheralded acquisitions of first-year president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi.
Rookie outfielder Mike Yastrzemski matched his career-high with four hits and made a critical, leaping catch at the wall while second baseman Donovan Solano reached base four times and drove in Yastrzemski for the go-ahead run with a single to right center in the top of the sixth.
After a pair of rough offensive showings in the first two games of the series, the Giants scored more than five runs for the first time since July 17 when they put the finishing touches on a four-games sweep of the Rockies with an 11-8 win.
Bumgarner pitched far better than his final line indicated as the lefty surrendered four runs while giving up just four hits on the day and striking out six Padres hitters. Over his last seven starts, Bumgarner has posted a 2.30 ERA and struck out 47 batters in 43 innings.
After falling behind 4-2 in the bottom of the third, the Giants rallied to tie the game in the fourth when Bochy flipped out a few of his starters for some of his key reserves.
The Padres used rookie left-hander Adrian Morejon as an "opener" and followed with another southpaw in Eric Lauer, but when Andy Green turned to righty Luis Perdomo, the Giants were ready.
Bochy opted to leave the right-handed hitting Solano in the game to face Perdomo instead of turning to Joe Panik and the move paid dividends as Solano drove in Yastrzemski with a single. Instead of letting first baseman Tyler Austin and right fielder Austin Slater hit, Bochy called on Pablo Sandoval and Alex Dickerson to pinch-hit and the duo delivered with singles that helped the Giants even the score.
Bumgarner has struggled in the opening frame this season, entering Sunday's game with a 5.32 ERA in the first inning of 22 starts. The Padres didn't hit him hard in the first inning, but took a lead anyway on a lightly hit single, a walk, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly from left fielder Hunter Renfroe.
The Padres' advantage didn't last long as Giants Yastrzemski delivered a two-run, two-out double in the top of the second to push his team ahead 2-1.
A back-and-forth affair swung in the Padres favor in the fourth inning after Slater couldn't catch a blooper that dropped in between him and Solano in shallow right field. With two outs and two on, Bumgarner served up a cutter that had no life to it and Renfroe crushed the pitch well over the left center field fence.
Renfroe's 29th home run of the season traveled 444 feet and marked the fourth-longest home run Bumgarner has allowed since the start of the 2015 season.
A struggling Giants offense came to life with two runs in the fourth, one in the sixth and two more in the ninth, helping Bumgarner secure his sixth win of the season and first since June 30.
With each passing day, it appears less likely that the Giants will part with Bumgarner ahead of the trade deadline, especially considering how critical his presence would be if the club snuck into the playoffs by earning a Wild Card berth.
