Hillenbrand Joins Giants; Bonds Hurt

SAN FRANCISCO — Matt Cain took a shutout into the ninth inning to win for the first time in more than a month, and the San Francisco Giants beat the San Diego Padres, 8-2, on Friday night, then traded for Shea Hillenbrand.

The Giants won their season-high fourth straight game and pulled to within half a game of the first-place Padres in the National League West.

Hillenbrand was designated for assignment by the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday after he wrote on the clubhouse bulletin board that the “ship was sinking” and Blue Jays Manager John Gibbons challenged him to a fight.

Hillenbrand is batting .301 with 12 homers, 15 doubles and 39 runs batted in. He’ll probably take over at first base for the Giants.

Barry Bonds left in the third inning because of a left knee bruise and was listed as day to day.

Cain (7-6) came within one out of getting the second shutout of his career but gave up a two-run homer to Khalil Greene in the ninth.

Padres starter Jake Peavy (4-10) plunked Bonds in the first inning, but Bonds stayed in the game. He had trouble running to first after a leadoff single in the third. Todd Linden entered as a pinch-runner for Bonds, then took over in left field.

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Grand fortnight: Jose Valentin hit his second grand slam in the last two weeks, giving the Mets five grand slams in that same period.

Letdown: Atlanta’s bullpen, which had given up the lead in six of John Smoltz’s eight no-decisions, inherited a tie game in the eighth and couldn’t hold Philadelphia.

Finding his niche: Cody Ross batted cleanup for only the third time this season for the Marlins, and he homered for the second time in those three games.