Brandon Crawford's single lifts Giants past Padres 3-1 (w/video)

SAN FRANCISCO - Just before throwing a warmup pitch in his final start before the postseason, the Giants’ Jake Peavy stood on the mound, turned and pointed his glove toward the visitor’s dugout.

Having pitched nearly eight seasons with San Diego, Peavy wanted to acknowledge the coaching staff that had been so instrumental in his career. Then the right-hander did the best he could to beat the Padres.

Now Peavy will sit and wait to see if he pitches again this year - even if it means getting called on in next week’s wild-card game.

“I’ll be ready if something was to happen,” Peavy said following the Giants’ 3-1 win Saturday. “All hands are on deck. I’m going to do everything as normal.”

A 92-game winner with San Diego, Jake Peavy faced his former team for the first time and allowed one run and four hits over five innings. The former NL Cy Young Award winner likely would start the division series opener against Washington if the Giants get that far.

San Francisco (87-74) already has clinched a playoff berth and will play at Pittsburgh or St. Louis in the one-game, wild-card playoff on Wednesday. The winner advances to face the Nationals in a best-of-five series.

“We’re getting a shot here because of what he’s done for us,” manager Bruce Bochy said of Peavy.

Brandon Crawford hit a two-run single with two outs in the eighth inning to help the Giants to just their third win in nine games.

One of just two regulars in the Giants’ starting lineup, Crawford was hitless in three at-bats until his broken-bat single to left off Dale Thayer (4-5) broke a 1-all tie, driving in Matt Duffy and Brandon Belt.

San Diego had walked Andrew Susac to load the bases, and Thayer struck out pinch-hitter Pablo Sandoval before Crawford’s hit.

“The last thing we wanted was this thing to go extra innings,” Bochy said.

Hunter Strickland (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings for his first decision in nine appearances. Santiago Casilla worked a perfect ninth for his 19th save in 23 chances.

Bochy went with a patchwork batting order, keeping Sandoval, Buster Posey and Hunter Pence out of the starting lineup.

It was the first game Pence had not started in more than two years, ending the longest consecutive starting streak in the majors at 331 games. The 2014 All-Star outfielder flied out to left as a pinch-hitter in the seventh, extending the majors’ longest active streak for consecutive games played to 382.

Padres starter Eric Stults gave up one run and six hits in seven innings. He allowed only one runner past first base after the first.

“Since the All-Star break, he’s pitched very well,” San Diego manager Bud Black said. “This game was a microcosm of his season. I think he might be last in the league in run support.”

TRAINER’S ROOM:

Giants: RHP Matt Cain had surgery Saturday to remove bone spurs in his right ankle. The three-time All-Star is recovering from season-ending surgery on Aug. 11 to remove bone chips in his right elbow.

UP NEXT:

Padres LHP Robbie Erlin (4-4) has allowed two earned runs or fewer in four of his last six starts. Giants rookie RHP Chris Heston (0-0) is to make his first big league start in the regular-season finale.