SAN FRANCISCO — San Diego Padres catcher Rene Rivera is known for his defense, and with good reason.
The Padres entered Monday’s series opener against the San Francisco Giants 6-4 in games when Rivera started behind the plate, 6-10 when he didn’t start.
Perhaps most important, with no home runs and no RBIs in his first 10 starts, he had done nothing to make anybody rave about his offensive prowess.
That all changed Monday night, when Rivera drove in a career-high five runs with a three-run home run and two-run double, lifting the Padres to a 6-4 victory that snapped the Giants’ four-game winning streak.
San Francisco Bay Area native Tyson Ross (3-3) beat the Giants for the second time in 11 days, helping the Padres defeat their in-state rivals for the third time in four meetings this season.
Rivera’s home run came in the top of the fifth inning off Giants starter Madison Bumgarner (2-3) and gave the Padres a 5-3 lead. It followed a one-out single by first baseman Tommy Medica and Bumgarner’s fourth walk of the game, to second baseman Alexi Amarista.
“I feel great,” Rivera said. “All the hard work with the hitting coach (Phil Plantier) paid off. Finally today was one of those days.”
The home run was the first for Rivera since 2011, when he was a member of the Minnesota Twins.
The six-run outburst matched a season high for the Padres. They totaled just five runs in their previous three games.
San Diego manager Bud Black was happy to see it from anyone, not just Rivera.
“We needed a game like that from one of our guys,” he said. “It’s been a long time coming. We’ve had a difficulty scoring runs in bunches.”
The Padres added an insurance run in the top of the ninth when reserve right fielder Will Venable, who doubled to lead off the inning, raced home from third on Amarista’s slow grounder to second base.
Rivera’s two-run double opened the game’s scoring in the fourth inning and helped propel him to the most RBIs by a Padre in a single game in the history of AT&T Park.
“He has some strength to his swing,” Black said. “I think there’s more to the bat than his numbers indicate.”
The Giants got within 5-4 on second baseman Brandon Hicks’ fourth home run of the season in the bottom of the fifth. It was Hicks’ second homer in two days and allowed him to match his previous career high for a season.
However, the Giants failed to cash in on a bases-loaded situation in the sixth, with Hicks flying out to the base of the fence in left field to end the inning.
In the end, the Giants were left lamenting the fact that four runs usually is sufficient when Bumgarner is pitching.
“We’re pretty spoiled here with Madison,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “I think it’s fair to say he made a few more mistakes than we’re accustomed to.”
Ross was pulled one out into the sixth, having allowed four runs on eight hits. He walked two and struck out four.
The Berkeley, Calif., native and University of California product shut out the Giants on four hits over eight innings in his previous head-to-head meeting April 18 in San Diego.
“It’s always nice to come back home and get a win,” Ross said. “It was a good game all the way around. The defense, the offense, the bullpen … everybody contributed.”
Left-hander Alex Torres and righties Nick Vincent, Joaquin Benoit and Huston Street combined to shut out the Giants on one hit over 3 2/3 innings in relief of Ross. Street recorded his 10th save with a 1-2-3 ninth.
Both teams had nine hits. Rivera and third baseman Jace Peterson each had a pair of hits for the Padres. San Francisco left fielder Michael Morse delivered a two-run single among three hits, and Giants catcher Buster Posey had a double and a single.
Bumgarner left after five innings, having allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits. He walked four, struck out five and saw his ERA in four home starts this season balloon to 6.26.
“I wasn’t able to make pitches today,” he said. “I felt today was the worst game I’ve had command-wise.”
NOTES: The San Diego bullpen leads the majors with a 1.96 ERA. … The Padres turned a season-high three double plays. … The home run by 2B Brandon Hicks in the fifth inning allowed the Giants to extend their streak of games with at least one homer to six. … The game featured two video-review call reversals on plays at first base. Umpire Angel Hernandez was deemed to have erred twice, first when he called Padres LF Xavier Nady safe in the third inning on a grounder to SS Brandon Crawford, and again in the fourth when he called Padres RHP Tyson Ross out after a bunt. The replays took 1 minute, 31 seconds and 1:18, respectively. … Padres 2B Jedd Gyorko left the team on paternity leave Monday to be with his wife, Karley, who is expecting twins. He is expected to rejoin the team Friday for the opener of a 10-game homestand. … 1B Tommy Medica was recalled from Triple-A El Paso to fill Gyorko’s spot on the roster. Medica was optioned to the minors Friday, and he homered for El Paso on Sunday. He had a hit and a walk and scored two runs in Monday’s win.