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SF@SD: Cain strikes out nine over seven innings

By the time the Giants take the field at Petco Park on Friday in San Diego, they will have had one game and a couple days to adjust to life without Melky Cabrera.

That's not likely to make it any easier.

The 28-year-old outfielder and this year's All-Star Game MVP was suspended for 50 games by Major League Baseball on Wednesday after testing positive for higher-than-normal amounts of testosterone. San Francisco comes into Friday's game a half-game back of the Dodgers in the National League West.

"We're disappointed. Melky was having a real nice year for us, but our thoughts right now are just on moving on," said Giants manager Bruce Bochy. "That's all you can do, whether that's with an injury or something like this. This team will remain focused on winning ballgames. That's where we're at right now, and that never changes."

The Giants will play their second game since Cabrera was suspended, continuing to search for a way to replace his career-best numbers. Before being suspended, Cabrera was leading the Majors with 159 hits on the way to a .346 batting average -- good for second in the NL. He also hit 11 home runs and drove in 60 runs, putting him on pace to at least threaten his career highs with about one-quarter of the season to play.

Gregor Blanco, who has played 100 games this season, took Cabrera's spot in left field on Wednesday and is likely to continue as a primary replacement option. Blanco notched his first hit since July 29 in the series finale against the Nationals.

Cabrera started all nine previous games against the Padres this season, going 13-for-37 (.351) with four doubles and four RBIs.

San Diego manager Bud Black will send Ross Ohlendorf to the mound on Friday to face Matt Cain and the Cabrera-less Giants. Ohlendorf pitched just the ninth inning against San Francisco on June 7, giving up one earned run on two hits in an 8-3 loss.

In nine starts this season, Ohlendorf is 3-3, while also recording a win in relief against the Brewers in early June. The 30-year-old right-hander has struggled lately, lasting just 1 2/3 innings against the Reds on Aug. 2, when he surrendered six earned runs on six hits. In his most recent start on Sunday against the Pirates, Ohlendorf once again allowed six earned runs, including a grand slam and a bases-loaded walk in the fourth inning.

"The first three innings, I felt like it went very well, and then I just didn't make as good a pitches in the fourth inning, and they took advantage of it," said Ohlendorf.

Giants: Cain looks for second straight win
After dropping two straight decisions for the second time this season to start the month of August, Cain will look to win his second straight game and notch his 12th victory of the campaign.

Cain did not make it past the sixth inning in either of his back-to-back losses early this month. He matched a season high with five earned runs on Aug. 6 against the Cardinals before bouncing back to allow just two earned to the Rockies in 7 1/3 innings of work on Saturday.

Bochy was impressed with Cain's effort in his last outing, calling it his best performance since throwing a perfect game on June 13.

"He had command, the ball was moving, he pitched pretty efficiently," Bochy said. "He had all his pitches working, and he had a sense of determination out there [Sunday]. He's so good, and he's done such a good job for us this year -- and this is the Matt Cain that we know."

Cain, a 27-year-old right-hander, has mores starts against the Padres (29) than any team he's faced. San Diego has also handed him more losses than anyone, as he enters Friday with a 6-11 record against the Padres, although he is 1-0 with no earned runs allowed against them this season.

Padres: Team excited about new ownership
• The sale of the Padres from John Moores to the group led by the Seidler/O'Malley families and longtime San Diego businessman Ron Fowler on Thursday excited many Padres players and executives.

"I think it is great news. We haven't had a chance to meet any of the new owners yet but everything I've heard has been good," third baseman Chase Headley said. "It's nice to have some stability and closure to this. I think it bodes well for the future."

The Padres won't hold a news conference to announce the new ownership group until the final closing of the sale, which will occur on or before Aug. 31.

"It sounds very positive," said San Diego assistant general manager A.J. Hinch. "Everything is headed in the right direction. We'll wait for further information."

Worth noting
• The Giants own a 6-3 record against the Padres this season, including 2-1 at Petco Park.

• San Francisco recorded a season-high five errors against San Diego on June 7.

• Padres rookie catcher Yasmani Grandal started his Minor League rehabilitation assignment on Wednesday with Class A Lake Elsinore. Grandal went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts as the designated hitter. On Thursday, Grandal caught for the Storm. No determination has been made on how many more games -- if any -- that he will play in the Minor Leagues before he's reinstated from the disabled list.

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