SAN DIEGO -- Padres general manager Kevin Towers caught considerable flak for not obtaining a big bopper for the offense prior to Tuesday's non-waiver trade deadline.

Instead, Towers cobbled together a handful of roster moves designed to improve what he and manager Bud Black felt was the team's most conspicuous area of need -- bench help.

These were hardly sexy moves by baseball standards -- but they were effective moves nonetheless.

On Friday, it was newcomer Scott Hairston's turn to rescue the Padres' offense -- and he certainly did it in a big way, coming off the bench to blast two home runs, including the game-winner in the 10th inning that led San Diego to a 4-3 victory over the Giants.

Forget Barry Bonds, who went 0-for-4 in his pursuit for Hank Aaron's home run record, it was a different left fielder who connected when it mattered most in front of a sold-out crowd of 45,523 at PETCO Park.

Hairston, acquired on July 28 from Arizona, said that he has embraced his new team. The feeling is mutual, as he was giving a customary shaving-cream pie to the face not long after connecting on the walk-off home run against Jack Taschner (2-1).

Hairston was mobbed at home plate by teammates, a celebration that drifted well into the clubhouse, where the Padres (58-50) celebrated their second victory in as many days, and their second victory fueled by newcomers to the team.

On Thursday, it was Morgan Ensberg who drilled two home runs and drove in four runs in an 11-0 victory over Arizona that was deemed critical by August standards due to the way San Diego had been playing lately.

Then on Friday, with a sold-out stadium buzzing over each of Bonds' four at-bats, three against future Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux, Hairston emerged the unlikely hero if for no other reason than where he started the game -- on the bench.

Hairston was pressed into duty when left fielder Milton Bradley exited the game in the fifth inning after aggravating a strain in his right hamstring he suffered against Arizona on Thursday. So enter Hairston, who had only seven at-bats with the Padres prior to Friday.

After flying out to center field in the sixth inning, Hairston came to the plate with two on in the bottom of the eighth inning and the Padres trailing, 3-0, after being tied in knots by Giants starter Matt Cain, who had 11 strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings before leaving after Rob Mackowiak, another newcomer, doubled down the right-field line.

Hairston stepped into the batter's box to face Giants reliever Vinnie Chulk in what was a situation eerily reminiscent to him. On April 28, while still with Arizona, it was Hairston who hit a three-run home run off Chulk to help Arizona to a comeback victory.

Guess what happened Friday?

"It's one of the weirdest things," said Hairston, who appeared still numb to his heroics as well as the unlikelihood of hitting similar home runs off the same pitcher twice in a year. "He has great stuff. It's one of those rare things ... and it happened to me."

Hairston's home run tied the game. It stayed that way until the bottom of the 10th inning when, with one out, Hairston jumped on a fastball from Taschner, sending it just over the left field fence where Bonds' replacement, Fred Lewis, made a valiant effort to keep the ball in the ballpark.

"I was just hoping it would [go over the fence]. I saw the left fielder, and I saw him jump up," Hairston said. "I didn't know whether he caught it or if he knocked it down. I looked at the umpire and he signaled home run, and as soon as he did that, everything was golden after that."

Golden, indeed, especially for a Padres team that after going 7-12 following the All-Star break, is certainly feeling better about itself after winning the last two games to leapfrog the Dodgers into second place in the National League West, 1 ½ games behind Arizona.

Credit Maddux, who again was denied in his bid for career victory No. 341, for keeping the Padres close, as he allowed three runs over 6 1/3 innings, with two runs scoring on Dave Roberts' double that came against reliever Cla Meredith.

Maddux got the best of Bonds, who remains stuck on career home run No. 754. Unlike other pitchers who throw delicately to Bonds or around him altogether, Maddux decided to right after the Giants slugger.

"The three at-bats with Greg and Barry, I thought it was awesome," Black said. "I don't think in one at-bat did Greg not have the intention of pitching to Barry. He was pitching to him like it was 10, 15 years ago. There wasn't one time when I felt Greg wasn't challenging him."

"Just trying to throw him the pitch you think is best to get him out," said Maddux, who has allowed eight career home runs to Bonds. "Sometimes you're right, sometimes you're not.

"[There's] a little more importance. You don't want to be the guy, I don't want to be the guy. I pitched him pretty good, I might have left a couple up a little bit but they were away. I don't remember anything kind of over the middle."

Bonds struck out looking in the first inning then grounded out to second base in the third. He flew out to right field in his final at-bat against Maddux and then grounded out to Adrian Gonzalez at third base with Kevin Cameron covering first base on the play.

The rest was up to the bench. Mackowiak, filling in for an injured Brian Giles, chased Cain from the game with his ringing double down the right-field line that sent Blum to third base. Two batters later, Hairston tied the game by sending a Chulk slider into the seats in left field.

"When you look at our team, and I think KT [GM Towers] said it ... we were looking for more impact from our bench," Black said. "For the second day, those guys contributed."