SAN FRANCISCO — For the second consecutive night, fans at AT&T Park fixed their gaze on the mound and crossed their fingers over the fate of the pitcher who stood upon it.

This time, dread replaced hope.
A day after Jonathan Sanchez pitched the first no-hitter by a Giant in 33 years, the emotions were starkly different. Matt Cain’s right arm went limp and the crowd gasped when he was struck just below the elbow by a line drive in the second inning of a 2-1 victory over the San Diego Padres. The All-Star right-hander cajoled trainers into letting him try one warmup pitch, which ominously sailed to the screen, before he was escorted off the field.
The rest of the evening went as well as could be expected. X-rays on Cain’s elbow did not reveal a fracture, Pablo Sandoval caused Pandamonium again with a two-run home run and a rough-and-ready bullpen skillfully passed the baton. Brian Wilson worked a four-out save as the Giants moved 11 games over .500 with one to play before the All-Star break.
The atmosphere was tenuous, though, because of the way Cain walked off the mound after pitcher Tim Stauffer’s line drive struck him on his golden arm.
Giants Manager Bruce Bochy said Cain, a first-time All-Star, was “doubtful” to be available Tuesday in St. Louis. Cain preferred to stay more open minded.
“We’ll feel it out,” said Cain, who was diagnosed with a contusion. “I’m going to try to be more hopeful. To say ’doubtful’ sounds negative. I heard that word when I was a little kid. It never seems to work out well.”
Cain’s powers of persuasion are limited, though. He couldn’t talk his way into staying on the mound, although Bochy and trainer Dave Groeschner allowed him to throw a warmup pitch. It sailed 2 feet over catcher Eli Whiteside’s head. Yet Cain continued to jabber at Groeschner.
“That was a whole lot of me trying to buy time,” said Cain, who called the injury a “monkey bump” and hoped the numbness in his hand and fingers would subside.
“It didn’t. It took a good half-hour,” Cain said. “It’ll probably be cranky for a little bit. It just hit that nerve area and shocked it.”
Few things are more vital to the Giants’ surging playoff ambitions than Cain’s good health. He is 10-2 and his 2.38 ERA is third best in the National League. He was expected to pitch an inning for the NL squad, but it appears his most strenuous activity will be collecting autographs from his All-Star teammates.
“It really is doubtful,” Bochy said. “He’ll make the trip and we’ll know more, but he’ll need a few days. We’re not going to put him in harm’s way if we don’t think he’s right. He’s too valuable. As much as he may battle it, he means too much to us.”
Bochy added that Cain is likely to open as the No.3 starter, following Tim Lincecum and Barry Zito. He’d have seven days to rest before a July 19 start at Pittsburgh.
The rotation gets most of the credit for leading the Giants back to respectability, but Saturday’s victory was a reminder that their consistent bullpen has been just as significant.
Thanks to Sanchez, the relievers were well rested — and they needed to be. Stalwart long man Justin Miller stranded both of Cain’s inherited runners and held the Padres to an infield single in 3 1/3 innings. A non-roster invitee to spring training, Miller lowered his ERA to 1.98 in a team-high 41 relief innings.
Brandon Medders, Sergio Romo and Jeremy Affeldt got the ball to Wilson, who struck out Kevin Kouzmanoff to end the eight.
Wilson struck out two more in a perfect ninth to record his 23rd save in 27 chances. He has worked four outs or more in seven of those save conversions, which leads all major league relievers.
Sandoval, thrice snubbed to join Cain and Tim Lincecum in St. Louis, gave his voters another prideful moment while giving the Giants all the offense they would need.
He hit his fourth home run on the eight-game homestand, finding the left field bleachers against Stauffer in the fourth inning. A night earlier, Sandoval took a curtain call after his three-run shot allowed Sanchez important breathing room in his pursuit of no-hitter history.
The Padres got their only run in the eighth after Everth Cabrera hit a double, stole third base and advanced home on Whiteside’s throwing error.