San Diego Padres' Yu Darvish pitches against the San Francisco Giants during the fourth inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, on Sept. 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

       SAN FRANCISCO (Kyodo) -- Yu Darvish gave up four home runs, including two in a five-run first inning, on the way to his 10th loss of the season, as the San Diego Padres fell 9-1 to the San Francisco Giants on Monday.

       The Japanese right-hander allowed eight runs on six hits and three walks while striking out three in four innings against the National League West-leading Giants, who became the first major league club to clinch a playoff berth with the win.

       Having snapped a seven-game losing streak in his previous outing, Darvish (8-10) got off to a horror start when he surrendered a leadoff home run to Tommy La Stella in the bottom of the first at San Francisco's Oracle Park.

       He issued walks on either side of a LaMonte Wade Jr. RBI triple before Evan Longoria drove his 1-0 slider over the fence behind left for a three-run home run.

       The 35-year-old Darvish, who recently came off his second stint on the injured list with a tight lower back, gave up two more homers in the fourth -- a solo to Mike Yastrzemski and a two-run shot to Brandon Belt -- before exiting.

       "I'm really frustrated with myself. I have to switch mental gears," Darvish said.

       Right-hander Zack Littell (3-0) got the win for the Giants after striking out a pair in 1-2/3 innings of relief.

       Elsewhere in the majors, Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. took the outright lead in the home run race with his 45th big fly, moving one clear of Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani.

       Triple Crown contender Guerrero went long in the Blue Jays' 8-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays while the Angels had a day off ahead of a three-game series at the Chicago White Sox from Tuesday.

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