Giants Tied for Wild Card

Jerome Williams pitched seven strong innings in his first start in two months, and the San Francisco Giants jumped back into a tie for the wild-card lead by beating the San Diego Padres, 4-1, on Thursday night.

The Giants (89-70) tied the idle Houston Astros in the wild-card race, one game ahead of the Chicago Cubs (88-71), who were defeated by the Cincinnati Reds.

The Giants play a three-game series at Dodger Stadium beginning tonight.

The Padres, playing their home finale, were pushed to the brink of elimination, falling three games back in the wild-card race with three to play.

Barry Bonds beat out an infield single in the eighth, making him one for 10 in the series. With runners on first and second and two out in the fifth, Bonds hit a high fly to center that Jay Payton caught on the warning track.

Ray Durham, who wasn’t cleared to play until two hours before the game after straining his right quadriceps on Wednesday, homered off Adam Eaton (11-14) leading off the four-run fourth. The Padres committed two errors in that inning, leading to three unearned runs.

Williams and three relievers held the Padres to five hits. Dustin Hermanson pitched the ninth for his 16th save in 19 chances.

Milwaukee 7, St. Louis 6 -- Matt Morris struggled at St. Louis in his final tuneup for the playoffs, and the Brewers sent the NL Central champions to their first four-game losing streak of the season. Keith Ginter hit a three-run homer in the first inning, and Scott Podsednik hit a two-run shot in the fourth.

Philadelphia 7, Florida 4 -- Pat Burrell was four for four, including a tiebreaking two-run single in the Phillies’ six-run seventh inning at Philadelphia.