The Padres came to AT&T Park with a chance to deliver the fatal blow to the team that ended their season last year. Yet they were unable to do so after dropping three straight games to the Giants, giving their rivals a very slim chance of still making the postseason.

The Friars will limp back home to face the division leading Diamondback, this time with a chance to help San Francisco out.

Below is a recap of the series sweep that was handed to them by the still-reigning world champions.

September 12^th, 2011 Giants 8, Padres 3

WP Eric Surkamp (2-0) 5.2IP 7H 3R 2ER 1BB 0K 0HR

LP Aaron Harang (13-6) 5IP 6H 4R 4ER 2BB 4K 2HR

Aaron Harang had a rough outing yet again giving up four early runs in the first three innings before settling down in the fourth and fifth. And the Padres even came back to cut the lead to one, until the Giants dropped four runs on them in seventh, putting the game away and giving Giants rookie pitcher Eric Surkamp a 2-0 record with both wins against the Padres.

Carlos Beltran got the Giants on the board with his 18^th homer of the year, bringing in Cody Ross to give the Giants a two-run lead in the first.

Ross led off the third with a solo homer (13) to left field. Jeff Keppinger and Beltran then each reached base. Pablo Sandoval beat out a would-be double-play to put runners at the corners with two-out. Aubrey Huff then knocked Keppinger in on a line drive to right, giving the Giants a four run lead.

After back-to-back singles by Jason Bartlett and Jesus Guzman and a popup Nick Hundley, Chris Denorfia slapped a RBI single to right field to put the Friars on the board.

The Padres didn’t do any more damage until the sixth when the Padres hit four consecutive singles with two outs, cutting the lead 4-3. After a walk to James Darnell to load the bases, Harang was pulled in favor of pinch-hitter Aaron Cunningham. Cunningham lined out to right field on the first pitch he saw, leaving the bases loaded.

The Giants blew it open in the seventh starting with a RBI single from Ross. Keppinger walked before a fly out by Beltran.

Pablo Sandoval then hit a three-run bomb to left field to put the Giants up five, putting the game out of reach of the light-hitting Padres.

September 13^th, 2011 Giants 3, Padres 2

WP Ramon Ramirez (3-3) 1IP 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 2K 0HR

LP Brad Brach (6-7) 0.2IP 2H 1R 1ER 1BB 0K 0HR

Orlando Hudson was unable to come up with two spectacular game saving plays, as Mark DeRosa’s line drive ricocheted off the glove of Hudson for a game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the 12^th.

Against the previous batter, Hudson made a game-saving diving stop of the bat of Pablo Sandoval with runners on first and second. Hudson threw the ball to Jason Bartlett, forcing out Carlos Beltran at second and preventing Cody Ross from scoring.

Ross scored the first run of the game in the first when he scored on a single by Pablo Sandoval.

Three innings later, it was Sandoval who scored for San Francisco off of a Justin Christian line drive to center, pushing the Giants lead to two.

Starting pitcher Matt Cain dominated the Padres six and a third innings before exiting after walking James Darnell. After Darnell was forced by a groundout by Kyle Blanks, Aaron Cunningham launched a line drive off the top of the left field wall, nearly missing a game-tying homerun, yet putting runners on second and third with two out.

Bartlett then hit the ball deep to left center, well past Christian to knock both runners in and tying the score two all.

This score would hold until DeRosa’s winning hit in the bottom of the 12^th.

September 14^th, 2011 Giants3, Padres 1

WP Tim Lincecum (13-12) 7IP 4H 1R 0ER 2BB 6K 0HR

LP Mat Latos (7-14) 7IP 7H 3R 3ER 1BB 8K 2HR

S Santiago Casilla (3) 1IP 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 1K 0HR

Mat Latos lasted seven innings, striking out eight while allowing three runs on seven hits. But his two home runs given up proved to be the difference as the Giants won 3-1, completing the sweep of the Padres.

Alberto Gonzalez scored the first run of the game on a double (21) by Jesus Guzman. Gonzalez reached on a fielding error by first baseman Aubrey Huff on a throw from Tim Lincecum.

Carlos Beltran hit a high drive that just cleared the big wall in right to tie the game with a solo homer (19).

With one out in the sixth, Beltran launched another off Latos, this time dropping into McCovey Cove with a splash hit home run. His 20^th blast of the season also was his 300^th of his career and gave the Giants a 2-1 lead.

The Giants added another insurance run in the seventh when Mark DeRosa singled to knock in Andres Torres.

Santiago Cassilla pitched a perfect ninth preserving a 3-1 lead for his third save.