San Diego Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer (30) congratulates San Francisco Giants first base coach Alyssa Nakken (92) for becoming the first female to coach first base in MLB history at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Tue Apr 12, 2022 (photo from the San Francisco Giants)
San Diego. 2. 5. 0
San Francisco. 13. 15. 0
Tuesday April 12, 2022
By Lewis Rubman
SAN FRANCISCO–Last night, the Giants never missed a chance to miss a chance against the visiting San Diego Padres. Tonight, behind ten year American League veteran Alex Cobb and four relievers, the Giants, after splitting four nail biters to open the season, clobbered the hell out of the visiting team from the south.
San Francisco’s batters faced a familiar and formidable opponent. Yu Darvish, who held the Diamondbacks hitless over six innings in last Friday’s opener, wasn’t that successful against the Giants last year when he went 1-1,5.82 against them even though Kapler’s crew managed only a meager .203 team batting average against the veteran righty. Of his 28 pitches, a dozen were balls.
The hometown heroes jumped all over the Darvish in the first frame. Brandon Belt followed Yastrzemski’s solid lead off single to left witih his second home run of the year, a no doubter that sailed over the National Car Rental advertisement in left field.
Ruf followed with a walk before Darvish notched his first out, Pederson looking. After that it was a walk to Crawford, back to back singles by Flores and Estrada, Duggar´s sac fly, and a single from the bat of Joey Bart, and the Giants were up, 5-0.
The Giants’ long top of the first, which didn’t end until they had batted around and Yaz looked at a called third strike, combined with the 51 degree game time temperature, probably hampered Cobb’s delivery.
The friars took advantage of that to convert a single by Luke Voit, who stole second, and scored on Wil Myers’ double to the right field corner that brought the Giants’ margin down to 5-1. (In the meantime, Cobb struck out three batters and uncorked a wild pitch).
San Francisco got that tally back in their half of the second. Singles by Belt and Pederson, interspersed with Ruf’s getting plunked by a Darvish offering, restored the Giants’ two run advantage in spite of the unassisted short to first DP Crawford grounded into.
Flores’ Texas League single sealed Darvish’s fate, and Nabil Crismatt entered the fray, only to be greeted with a double to left center by Estrada and single, followed by a stolen base, by Duggar.
When the inning finally ended with Bart’s striking out swinging, Darvish had logged a line of nine runs, all earned, on eight hits, one of which went the distance, two walks, and two strikeouts in 1-2/3 innings of hard labor. Of his 57 offerings only 34 counted as strikes.
The last Giant run of second was charged to Crismatt, who ended up hurling 1-1/3 frames and allowing that single tally on two hits, a walk, and a K. Of his 28 pitches, a dozen were balls.
His replacement, Austin Adams, took over mound duties in the bottom of the fourth. He threw 1-1/3 perfect innings, yielding to Denelson Lamet with one down in the fifth.
The Pads cobbled together Matt Beatly’s single to second, a walk to CJ Abrams, and two ground ball outs in their half of the fifth to score their second run.
San Francisco scored again in the top of the fifth, with Bart greeting Lamet with a single to left and Yastrzemski banging an RBI double off the National Car Rental sign, still in left field.
Unsurprisingly, Cobb exited after hurling five innings, for a total of 83 pitches, of which 30 were balls. He allowed two runs, both earned, on four hits, two walks and a wild pitch against ten strikeouts. Need I say that he was the winning pitcher and Darvish the loser?
After García’s four batter, two strikeout hitless sixth, it was new inning, new pitcher for the home team. Tyler Beede in the seventh.
Robert Suárez in the eighth. Yunior Marte, who replaced Tyler Rogers, who was placed on paternity leave before the game, made his major league debut in the ninth. He gave up an infield hit to Myers, was erased in a double play. CJ Abrams flew out to center for the final. out.
I won’t give you any details about Pederson and Dubón’s homers in the bottom of the eigth. except to say they came off Wil Myers, who played the first seven innings of the game in right field.
Ruff and Crawford were the only Giant starters not to register a hit, and the former left the game after his second at bat, which had resulted in his second inning double play. Mauricio Dubón, who took over for him at short, did notch a safety, a bunt single in the sixth off Lamet.
The Giants will play one more game against the Padres Wednesday at 12:45, before taking off for Cleveland. They’ll face Sean Manaea (1-0,0.00). Logan Webb (0-0,1.50) is scheduled to start for the home team.
