Giants deliver smackdown to Padres 13-2

Petco Park – San Diego California

After a four-game winning streak came to an end yesterday, the Padres were eager to welcome the NL West cellar-dwelling San Francisco Giants to Petco for the last home series of the major league first half. Padres hitters were licking their chops to hit against game one starter Jeff Samardzija, he of the 4.52 ERA at the start of the night.

Instead, Samardzija would go on to pitch one of the better games of the season for himself, giving up two earned runs over eight strong innings. He induced some awkward swings from Padres hitters throughout the night, including a baffling sixth-inning at-bat against red hot Eric Hosmer that saw him uncomfortably flip his bat outside the zone three straight times to no avail. Opposing him was southpaw Logan Allen took the hill for the Padres, who trying to build off of his early success in the majors with wins against the Brewers and Orioles. Unfortunately for Allen and the Padres, he experienced a bump in the road as all young pitchers do from time to time.

After coasting through the first three innings, his velocity was noticeably lighter from this point forward. While starting off the game hitting 95 mph and sitting 93, the fourth and fifth innings saw his velocity drop to the 90-91 range. His command also seemed to labor, with a lot of full counts draining his stamina, resulting in 83 pitches through the first four innings plus. All said, he gave up six runs on seven hits, while giving up two walks and striking out three.

The Padres needed someone to come out of the pen tonight early and eat some innings after an extra-inning affair yesterday, and the (un)lucky contestant was righty Phil Maton. After allowing an inherited runner from Allen in the fifth, he gave up one run in the sixth before giving up two home runs in the top of the seventh to Evan Longoria and Austin Slater.  Other Padres relievers proceeded to enter the game and give up runs in their outing as well including Trey Wingenter and Robert Stock.

If the Padres are going to make a run at a wild-card spot, the bullpen is going to have to be more reliable and not lean so heavily on the back end duo of Craig Stammen and All-Star Kirby Yates. Expect this area to be addressed before the end of the July 31st trade deadline.

The Padres bats were relatively uncomfortable most of the night with a few bright spots though including a sixth-inning triple by Fernando Tatis Jr. that led to another awe-inspiring tale of this 20-year-old. While on third, Padres slugger Manny Machado came to the plate and on a pop up to shallow right field, where Giants second basemen Joe Panik caught the ball, and Tatis made the break for home and easily scored on the play. He also set a 2019 Statcast high water mark for the strongest throw from a major league shortstop, hitting 94 mph, breaking his own mark of 93.4 mph. He is must see tv at this point already, doing something amazing on a nightly basis.

Hey, remember when Fernando Tatis Jr. tagged up and scored on a pop fly to the second baseman in Pittsburgh?

Well… he just did it again. The. Kid. Makes. Things. Happen.#FriarFaithful | @Padres | @tatis_jr pic.twitter.com/1WZs0CgDZI

— FOX Sports San Diego (@FOXSportsSD) July 2, 2019

Despite getting an RBI double off the bat of Josh Naylor, it wasn’t enough as the Giants had taken to big of a lead for the Friars to make a dent in. The Giants will send righty Tyler Beede to the hill in game two while the Padres will counter with southpaw Matt Strahm, looking for his fourth win of the season. The game will begin at 7:10 p.m. PDT.

Nick Recchia

I am a lifelong Padres Fanatic who loves to talk and debate any and all sports. But SD Padres and minor leagues hold a special place above all. A 33-year-old born and raised San Diegan who is a season ticket holder and puts his money where his mouth is.