It turned out that simply having their best pitcher on the mound and jumping to an early lead wasn’t enough for the Giants against the Padres.
Casey Schmidt managed to hit two home runs during the game, and San Francisco took an early 4-1 lead. However, Logan Webb struggled on the mound, surrendering a total of six runs, leading to a final score of 10-5 in favor of the Padres at Oracle Park.
Webb really unraveled in the fourth inning, allowing five runs that shifted the momentum entirely to San Diego. This was not great for Webb, who only lasted four innings, marking the shortest outing of his season. It’s interesting to note that this was only the 11th time in 140 games since 2022 that he pitched less than five innings.
That fourth inning was particularly eventful for rookie catcher Jesus Rodriguez, who not only recorded his first major league hit and RBI but also hit a solo home run in the seventh inning.
San Diego managed to send nine batters to the plate in the fourth. Webb did get the second out, but he then let four consecutive Padres players reach base. Son Sung-moon, in particular, had a standout moment with a bases-loaded double, notching his first MLB hit as he drove in two runs.
As for Webb, this outing added six earned runs to his record, bringing his ERA up to 5.06, marking the highest it’s been late in the season since 2021. Interestingly, the Giants had been historically strong at home, rarely giving up five runs in a single inning, yet this year they’ve done it twice already.
The Yankees also had a strong inning against him previously, scoring five runs in a second inning during a prior game.
What It Means
This marked just the fifth time this season that the Giants hit multiple home runs, a record not surpassed by any team other than the Red Sox. They are still undefeated in those matchups, but their overall stats without any home runs dipped to 4-1 and then 11-4.
Who is Hot
Schmidt’s two-big hit down the left field line solidified his position as the team leader with six home runs, four of which have come in the last ten games. He’s now had at least one hit in all but one game during that stretch, showing real consistency.
On another note, Rafael Devers continued his success, extending his hitting streak to six games with a single. Coach Tony Vitello has been adjusting the lineup, trying to boost the performance of struggling veterans like Willie Adames and Matt Chapman behind rookie Bryce Eldridge.
Jackson Merrill has also been troublesome for the Giants, racking up five hits across nine at-bats in the series.
Who is Not?
Adames, on the flip side, has had a rough patch with a 15-game strikeout streak, tying for the third-longest of his career. Even though he managed a single in the third inning, it was only his seventh hit in 63 at-bats since his last game without a strikeout.
Chapman, too, is struggling, having gone hitless in four attempts last night and extending his dry spell to 21 at-bats.
Fernando Tatis Jr. appears to be in a slump as well, dropping to fifth in the Padres’ lineup amid a dry spell lasting 148 at-bats without a home run. He did manage a double that helped score a run in that crucial fourth inning, but he faltered in his next attempt, striking out with two on base and no outs.
To The Next
Looking ahead, RHP Adrian Hauser (0-3, 7.12 ERA) will take the mound in a matchup against RHP Matt Waldron (0-1, 9.88 ERA). The first pitch is scheduled to be thrown at 12:45 p.m.
