SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Giants got game-winning hits from pitchers Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner over the weekend, so Johnny Cueto was hoping to do the same Monday night.

When he failed, the club had to resort to Plan B: a real hitter.

Pinch hitter Hunter Pence's towering fly ball fell between two San Diego Padres defenders in short right field with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, scoring Brandon Belt from first base with the only run of the game and giving the Giants a 1-0 victory.

Pence was pinch-hitting for Cueto, who went the distance, allowing just two hits.

"I wanted to get a hit myself," said Cueto, who was allowed to bat with two on and two outs in the seventh inning but struck out. "Fortunately, Pence came in and got the hit."

The win was the seventh straight for the Giants against the Padres this season and ninth in a row dating back to last season.

Belt led off the ninth against the third San Diego pitcher, left-hander Brad Hand (1-1), with a soft single to center field.

Two outs later, Pence skied a fly ball between Padres right fielder Matt Kemp and second baseman Alexi Amarista.

Kemp, who was playing deep to prevent a potential game-winning extra-base hit, hustled in but never reached the ball until it had short-hopped off his body, allowing Belt to scamper home easily with the lone run.

"You see so many balls like that usually caught," said Belt, who was running hard on the crack of the bat because there were two outs. "I guess there's always a chance. That's why you keep going in the first place."

Pence, who didn't start the game because of a strained right hamstring, was credited with a double. It was his 10th career walk-off hit.

"He assured me he could do it," said Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who said his limited other pinch-hit options included Madison Bumgarner, who drove in the only run Sunday in San Francisco's 1-0 win over the Chicago Cubs. "It was the perfect situation for (Pence). We got a break there. Two outs, they had to play deep."

Coming off completing a 2-1 series win over the Cubs with a pair of wins over the weekend, the Giants have won 11 of 12.

"The ball should have been caught," Kemp said of the game-winning hit. "That's my ball. It was easier for me coming in. It was in the air too long. That's my fault."

Cueto's shutout was his second of the season, both against San Diego. He also had a 1-0 win over the Padres the last time they visited in April, although he allowed seven hits in his nine innings that time around.

He has pitched three complete games this season, all against the Padres.

Cueto (7-1) struck out six and did not walk a batter Monday in becoming the first Giant since Jason Schmidt in 2004 to win at least seven of his first 10 starts of a season.

"It's great to get Cueto a win there. He deserved it," Bochy said. "He's got great savvy out there with great stuff. He's one of those guys who can turn it up a notch out there when he needs to."

Cueto retired 27 of the 30 batters he faced. The only hits he allowed were a fourth-inning single by Kemp after he retired the first 11 Padres in order, and a two-out single by Amarista in the eighth.

Amarista's hit put the only Padre of the game in scoring position, as it followed Alexei Ramirez getting hit by a pitch on the forearm.

With runners on first and third, Cueto went to a full count on pinch hitter Yangervis Solarte before striking him out looking.

"Things are not working out the way we want. We've played them seven times and we haven't won one of them," Padres manager Andy Green said. "The hitting has not kept up its end of the bargain. We have to raise the bar."

Cueto lowered his ERA to 2.38.

For most of the night, Cueto matched pitches with Padres left-hander Drew Pomeranz.

Pomeranz continued a brilliant May with seven shutout innings, allowing only two hits. He walked four and struck out four.

Pomeranz improved his May ERA to 0.87 in five starts and lowered his ERA for the season to 1.70, third best in the National League behind the Chicago Cubs' Jake Arrieta (1.29) and Los Angeles Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw (1.48).

"Drew Pomeranz was outstanding, the bullpen was outstanding," Green said. "We gotta push runs across the board. Drew was great. There's nothing more you can ask from him."

Pomeranz's 1.70 ERA is the third lowest ever for a Padre through the first nine starts of a season, trailing only Randy Jones (1.54 in 1975) and Jake Peavy (1.64 in 2007).

NOTES: The walk-off win was the Giants' fourth of the season. ... The last time the Giants won consecutive 1-0 games was Aug. 27 and 29, 1980. ... Giants LF Angel Pagan (strained left hamstring) left the game in the ninth inning after trying to run out a groundball. He will have an MRI exam Tuesday. ... Giants 1B Brandon Belt replaced Pagan in left field, having to borrow a regular fielder's glove from LHP Javier Lopez. ... After using six relievers for a total of 12 innings Sunday, the Padres added a reinforcement to the bullpen Monday by promoting LHP Keith Hessler from Triple-A El Paso. Starter RHP Colin Rea, who wasn't going to be used this week because of an off day on Thursday, was sent to El Paso to create a roster spot for Hessler. ... The Padres will need to make another move Tuesday when RHP Andrew Cashner (strained right hamstring) is expected to be activated from the disabled list and start Game 2 of the series. ... Giants RHP Sergio Romo (strained right flexor) began a rehab stint at Triple-A Sacramento on Monday. The plan was for him to pitch five times in eight days before the club considers activating him from the DL next week.