MLB

Granderson’s first HR since return sends Yankees over Padres

SAN DIEGO — Curtis Granderson’s two-run homer looked like white gold stitched with red laces as it climbed toward a sky dotted with thin clouds highlighted by a setting sun.

It was Granderson’s muscle the Yankees missed when he was on the disabled list until Friday and desperately need if they want to extend the season beyond September.

Yet, as welcome as the two-run blast was Saturday night it was overshadowed by the pitching performance delivered by Ivan Nova.

On a day when the Alex Rodriguez-MLB Drama Factory was pumping fastballs from all angles, Granderson and Nova produced a 3-0 victory over the Padres in front of a sold-out Petco Park crowd of 44,184.

Nova, who was taken in the 2008 Rule V draft by the Padres and returned to the Yankees the following year, made Granderson’s two-run blast off Tyson Ross in the seventh inning stand up by throwing seven shutout innings in which he allowed four hits. In his last five outing, Nova (5-4) is 3-2 with a 1.66 ERA.

David Robertson worked the eighth and Mariano Rivera recorded the final three outs for his 35th save in 37 chances.

Jayson Nix, who entered the game at third base in the seventh, delivered a two-out single to right in the ninth that scored Granderson from second that presented Rivera with a three-run bulge.

Locked into a scoreless match with Nova, Ross blinked first in the seventh when the Yankees scored two runs.

Alfonso Soriano had center fielder Alexi Amarista to thank for a leadoff single because Amarista broke back on the short fly that fell just out of the reach of second baseman Jedd Gyorko. Two pitches later, Granderson hit a 1-0 pitch into the right-field seats for a 2-0 lead. It was Granderson’s second homer of the season and first since coming off the DL Friday.

The inning continued when Ross walked Lyle Overbay and Eduardo Nunez. He was replaced by right-hander Nick Vincent. Ichiro Suzuki hit for Brent Lillibridge and he forced Nunez at second. With runners at the corners and one out, Chris Stewart’s fly to right wasn’t deep enough to score the heavy-legged Overbay. Vincent kept it a 2-0 game by striking out Nova for the third time.

Ross, who fanned a career-high nine, allowed two runs and three hits in six-plus innings. He is 2-5.

Will Venable’s leadoff double gave the Padres an instant scoring threat in the seventh, but Nova responded by striking out Gyorko with a nasty breaking ball, retiring Amarista on a grounder to third and getting Nick Hundley looking at a 2-2 curveball.

The Yankees didn’t get a runner into scoring position until the sixth inning when Brett Gardner drew a four-pitch, two-out walk and stole second. That’s where Ross left him by getting Robinson Cano on fly to center field.

george.king@nypost.com