Struggling Padres fall into West cellar

SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Padres are struggling so badly that they gave up only four hits to the San Francisco Giants, and still lost.

Rich Aurilia homered off Chris Young in the seventh inning to keep Tim Lincecum perfect this season and give San Francisco a 1-0 victory Thursday night in another low-scoring game at Petco Park.

Young (1-2) yielded two hits in seven innings while striking out 10, but couldn’t keep the Padres from tumbling into sole possession of last place in the West Division.

The Padres have lost eight of nine and were swept in the two-game series.

Lincecum (4-0) extended his scoreless streak to 16 1/3 innings and lowered his earned-run average to 1.23. He yielded four hits in 6 1/3 innings, struck out nine and walked five. Brian Wilson pitched the ninth for his seventh save in eight chances.

The Padres have scored five runs in 53 innings in their last four games at spacious Petco Park, including a 3-2, 13-inning loss to San Francisco on Wednesday night, and a 2-1, 22-inning loss to Colorado on April 17.

Aurilia homered to left field on a full-count pitch with one out in the seventh, his first of the season.