Padres Avoid Sweep and Regain Top Spot

Mike Cameron already had two flyouts to center field Sunday, and his luck had been similar all series with Steve Finley covering plenty of ground.

But Cameron finally found a gap in the biggest part of the ballpark, the hit San Diego needed to get back on top.

Cameron tripled leading off the 12th inning and scored on a sacrifice fly by pinch-hitter Eric Young, and the Padres avoided their first four-game sweep in San Francisco in nearly 13 years with a 6-5 victory over the Giants.

San Diego also regained the National League West lead, moving half a game ahead of the Giants by ending a four-game skid and stopping San Francisco’s season-best five-game winning streak.

The Giants, who used all their position players, took a 5-4 lead on Pedro Feliz’s two-run single in the eighth before Terrmel Sledge hit a tying homer leading off the San Diego ninth against Armando Benitez. It was the first home run for Sledge since April 4, 2005.

Cameron tripled to the warning track in center against Brian Wilson (1-3), the seventh pitcher used by the Giants. Young followed with a sacrifice fly to center.