SCORE TABLE
The good vibes of that Dodgers series failed to make it through the first night at home. Jeff Samardzija was battered in his first start of the year and the lineup fell to 0-3 against right-handed starters as the Giants lost 5-3 to the Padres.
The Giants put the runner out in the eighth, but Pablo Sandoval struck out and Wilmer Flores struck on a double play. At the end of the ninth, old friend Drew Pomeranz approached the Padres and knocked aside.
It was a quiet opening for the Giants. Here are three things you should know about it …
Shark tank
The Giants kept Samardzija out of the Dodgers’ series, but the Padres, who have a full right-handed lineup, did not provide a soft landing point.
Fernando Tatis discovered a low slider in the arcade in right field, an apparently impossible shot for a right, for a three-run homer. Maybe the ball is in juice. Perhaps the stadium has changed with the arches closed. Or maybe the young shortstop is just a monster that will make the Giants’ lives miserable for the next decade.
Fernando Tatis Jr. hit this field in the game room, which tells him a lot about Fernando Tatis Jr., and perhaps also about this stadium with all the doors closed. pic.twitter.com/I7uYYYh1bG
– Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) July 29, 2020
Wil Myers has done it in recent years, and became the first player to jump into the new bullpens. The home run was the ninth for Myers at Oracle Park in the past four seasons, the most among visiting players and just two behind Kevin Pillar for the most among any player.
Samardzija gave up five wins in four innings and struck out just one. Her fastball reached 92 mph once and averaged 90.
[BALKTALK:[BALKTALK:[BALKTALK:[BALKTALK: Listen to the last episode]
Slow start
Joe McCarthy went 0-for-8 with three strikeouts in Los Angeles, but returned there Tuesday against right-hander Kyle Davies. However, the rookie outfielder struck out in his first two at-bats and it was notable that Donovan Solano hit for McCarthy in the seventh, even though there was a direct right on the mound.
McCarthy was not expected to be on the opening day list, but he made the cut when Brandon Belt and Evan Longoria were injured. With Belt’s likely delivery on Thursday, the audition could end soon.
[[[[RELATED: The giants play the black national anthem before the opening of the house]Bounce excursion
Dany Jiménez pitched the ninth inning in what was a great sneaky moment for him and the front office. The Giants were disappointed with his command last Thursday and don’t have much time to evaluate the Rule 5 selection, with a roster of 28 players in just over a week.
Jiménez threw a 1-2-3 inning, although it was not easy. He threw many more punches, but still lost his points, and Austin Hedges took him to the warning track for the final exit. Still, this was a step in the right direction. Expect the Giants to get you out there a few more times over the next week as they continue the evaluation process.
