The Giants make their first trip of the season down to San Diego to take on the Padres in a three game weekend series. Coming off of a rough day offensively on Thursday against the Dodgers, the Giants look to go back to the hitting they showed when the season began.
In game 1 the Giants sent Matt Cain to the hill, Cain coming off of a fantastic start against the Rockies when he only gave up 1 run in 7 innings but was given the loss as the Giants were unable to score. In this one he continued his dominance. His command was there and his great use of the curveball with two strikes helped him put away the Padre hitters. He went 7 innings and gave up one unearned run on a passed ball by Hector Sanchez in the first inning. He walked 2 and struck out 8, but the Giants offense was unable to help out Matt Cain for the second start in a row. Padre starter Tyson Ross absolutely shut down the Giants, throwing 8 shutout innings, striking out 9 and only walking 1. His slider kept the Giants confused and waving at it constantly the whole night. His biggest success was being able to get ahead of the Giant hitters all night long, 0-1, 0-2. In the bottom of the 8th reliever Juan Gutierrez for the Giants gave up a homer to pinch hitter Yasmani Grandal who blasted an inside fastball into the right field seats. In the top of the ninth the Giants finally got on the board on a solo home run by Brandon Belt off of closer Houston Street. The offense as a whole let Cain down for the second time in as many starts, despite turning in a brilliant outing.
San Diego 2, San Francisco 1
In game 2 the Giants had Tim Hudson on the hill who has been Mr. Consistant this season so far with his new club. He was opposed by Erik Stults a good lefty for the Padres. The anemic offense became the story again in this one for the Giants. It was yet another pitchers duel at Petco park. Stults mowed down the Giants bats through the first 4 innings with a good mix of all of his pitches, keeping the hitters he faced guessing each time. Hudson was almost the same, despite giving up a run in the second. In the 5th the Giants tied the game on a bomb by Michael Morse on a fastball up from Stults. The beginning of the at-bat they tried throwing curveballs away from Morse because they knew he could hit his fastball, but after he fell behind 2-0, Stults went to the fastball and Morse made him pay. Hudson failed to get the shutdown inning in the bottom of the 5th as the Padres took the lead. Hudson finished up going 7 innings, giving up the 2 runs and striking out 4. He continued his Giants record of consecutive innings without issuing a walk which has now reached 30 innings. The Padre bullpen took over and shut the Giants down.
San Diego 3, San Francisco 1
The Giants needed Tim Lincecum to be their stopper to get them out of this mini skid and give their offense a chance to get out of this funk. In game 3 it was Tim Lincecum against young Padre lefty Robbie Erlin. It did not take long for the Giants to give Timmy a lead, in the first inning Buster Posey took a fastball that was on the outer half from Erlin and put it over the left center field wall for a two-run homer. Lincecum started out well in the first two innings, getting some help from his defense in the form of the three Brandons in the infield. In the second inning the Giants offense continued. Pagan got a fastball up from Erlin that he took the other way for a two-run single. 4-0. Erlin in the first two innings had trouble keeping the ball low and his biggest problem was walking 3 men, 2 of which scored. In the bottom of the third the Padres got to Lincecum as Chase Headley hit a two-run double down the first base line. The Giants completed a perfect relay to get the third runner Xavier Nady who was initially called safe, but after Bruce Bochy challenged was called out. The offense for the Giants that looked as if it was turning the corner hit a wall after the 2nd inning, Erlin settled into a groove and made quick work of the Giants by retiring the final 12 hitters he faced. Lincecum on the other hand started finding better command of his pitches, and although he did not have the control he did in his previous start, he was effectively wild and ended up with 7 strikeouts. The Giants bullpen was brilliant, starting with recently added Jeremy Affeldt from the DL, Javier Lopez, Santiago Casilla and the game was closed out by Sergio Romo. The Giants were able to salvage one game of this 3 game series on getaway day.
San Francisco 4, San Diego 3
The Giants now head out to Colorado where they begin a three game series with the Rockies starting tomorrow with Ryan Vogelsong on the hill. The Giants have played 9 of their last 10 games by a difference of one run. They are hoping that their bats will wake up in mile-high Colorado and Pablo Sandoval and Hunter Pence can get out of their slumps.
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