The San Diego Padres had the unfortunate task of knocking off two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal and the Detroit Tigers during the opening series but now get to face the 0-3 San Francisco Giants.
The San Diego Padres dropped two of three against the Detroit Tigers but won the finale of the opening series over the weekend and take a 1-2 record into a three-game home set against the National League West-rival San Francisco Giants starting Monday.
The Padres ran into some tough luck during the first two games of the series against Detroit as the offense was stifled by the back-to-back American League Cy Young winner, left-hander Tarik Skubal, and one of the top free agent acquisitions, lefty Framber Valdez.
Skubal was dominant per usual, allowing an unearned run on just three hits with six strikeouts over six innings. The game was over by the end of the first inning, as the Tigers scored four runs on Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta in the first frame and chased him after three. San Diego took the 8-2 loss on Opening Day.
The Padres put up more of a fight in the second game, although the team mustered just two runs. Valdez threw six innings as well, allowing an earned run on seven hits and a walk while striking out five. Not quite as dominant as Skubal, but he certainly made life hard for the Padres. A four-run eighth inning by the Tigers propelled itself to a 5-2 victory.
San Diego finally had a clean performance from its pitching staff in the finale, as the Padres shut down the Tigers 3-0 on the shoulders of righty Randy Vasquez, who pitched six scoreless innings of two-hit, three-walk ball with eight strikeouts. Flamethrowing closer Mason Miller debuted an electric closer entrance for his first opportunity of the season, striking out two and walking one in a shutout frame.
The offense has been bleak through three games and San Diego’s stars have been quiet for the most part. Xander Bogaerts is 3-for-12 with an RBI, right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. and center fielder Jackson Merrill are batting just .182 with two RBI combined and three strikeouts apiece.
The best hitter so far has been left fielder Ramon Laureano, who is slashing .417/.417/.750 with a homer, double and two RBI. Laureano is picking up where he left off last season with San Diego and if he can keep up this kind of production throughout the year, it would take a great deal of pressure off of Tatis, Merrill, Bogaerts and third baseman Manny Machado.
San Diego now sets its sights on one of its biggest rivals, the winless San Francisco Giants. The Padres will send right-hander Walker Buehler to the bump while the Giants will have righty Landen Roupp going.
Roupp was good last season, posting a 7-7 record with a 3.80 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 102 strikeouts over 22 starts (106.2 innings). He don’t have good numbers against the Padres in his career and the Giants desperately need a win. Here is manager Craig Stammen’s lineup for the series opener:
1. Jake Cronenworth (2B)
2. Tatis (RF)
3. Machado (3B)
4. Merrill (CF)
5. Bogaerts (SS)
6. Gavin Sheets (1B)
7. Laureano (LF)
8. Nick Castellanos (DH)
9. Luis Campusano (C)
Tatis is 5-for-8 and Machado is 4-for-10 with a homer and two RBI, so watch for them to do some damage today.