SAN DIEGO _ Petco Park won't see a celebration this season. Thank Manuel Margot, whose seventh-inning triple got the Padres started on a game-winning rally that was sure to trigger a champagne-soaked party some 150 miles north of here.
The Padres' 4-3 win over the Giants sealed an NL West title for Los Angeles two days before the Dodgers _ who won in extra innings minutes before the Padres' final out _ arrive at Petco Park for the final home series of the season.
Margot's triple was his third hit of the game, setting up Wil Myers' go-ahead single to right. The rookie center fielder also doubled in the first, singled and stole his first career base in the second inning and reached base four times as the Padres split the four-game series with the Giants.
The Padres' bullpen turned in three scoreless frames after another quality start from Clayton Richard (6 innings, 3 earned runs), with Brad Hand fetching the final two outs of the eighth with the tying run on base and all three outs in the ninth for his first save of the season.
Richard has turned in at least five innings in each of his eight turns in the rotation and hasn't allowed more than three runs _ earned or not _ in any of them.
Two of the three he yielded Sunday were and all crossed the plate in a third inning extended by a curious play at the plate.
Following Trevor Brown's leadoff single, Richard appeared as if he'd get at least one out when Giants pitcher Ty Blach squared to bunt. But Black stepped backward into a throwing lane as Austin Hedges picked the ball up and threw wildly into center field, Blach eventually took off for first base and Andy Green stepped out of the dugout for a lengthy discussion with plate umpire Clint Fagan.
Nothing changed _ everyone was safe.
Then Eduardo Nunez loaded the bases with a single, Kelby Tomlinson drove in the Giants' first run of the game on a groundout to the right side of the infield and Buster Posey gave San Francisco a 3-1 lead on a single to right-center.
Rosales' 13th homer of the season a half-inning later cut into that advantage and set a new franchise record for homers in a season and Yangervis Solarte tied the game in the fifth with an RBI single.
Blach allowed two runs on four hits and three walks in three innings in his first major league start. The rookie left-hander came into the game with six scoreless innings out of the Giants' bullpen.
