SF drops three of four in SD as injuries, pitching struggles, and scoring droughts deepen postseason doubts
The San Francisco Giants entered their four-game road series against the San Diego Padres hoping to reset after weeks of frustration. Instead, they dropped three of four, capped by another lopsided defeat Thursday, and now sit 12 games out of first place in the NL West.
The series opened with promise. Robbie Ray carried a no-hit bid into the seventh inning before a Casey Schmitt error unraveled things. Ryan O’Hearn followed with a two-run homer, but Ray still secured the win, improving to 10–6 after 6.2 innings of three-hit ball with six strikeouts and just one walk. Randy Rodríguez earned his fourth save by finishing a tense ninth.
San Francisco’s offense jumped on Padres starter Nestor Cortes early, scoring four runs in the first. Heliot Ramos, Rafael Devers, and Wilmer Flores all went deep, with Flores delivering a two-run shot. Jung Ho Lee extended his hitting streak to seven games, and the Giants held on for a 4–3 win, snapping their home misery while extending San Diego’s losing streak to four games.
A bizarre moment saw Xander Bogaerts lose a home run to fan interference, prompting Padres manager Mike Shildt’s ejection.
But momentum quickly evaporated in Game 2. Rookie Kai-Wei Teng allowed three runs across 3.1 innings, striking out four but struggling to command the zone. Spencer Bivens and Carson Seymour combined for 4.1 innings of relief, but both yielded runs as the Giants fell 5–1.
Lee provided nearly all the offense, smashing a 400-foot leadoff home run — his sixth of the year — and later doubling in the fifth. He finished with two of San Francisco’s four hits, stretching his hit streak to eight games.
Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta stifled the Giants with 10 strikeouts in six innings, improving to 13–4. Manager Bob Melvin defended Teng afterward, saying defensive miscues had made the outing look worse than it was.
Things unraveled quickly in Game 3, which also landed on Jung Ho Lee’s birthday. Lee extended his hit streak to nine games with a single, but it was little consolation in an 8–1 loss. The Giants mustered only four hits, including Lee’s, a Heliot Ramos single, a Christian Koss single, and Casey Schmitt’s solo homer — their lone run of the night.
Landen Roupp’s outing ended painfully. After surrendering five runs in 2.1 innings, he was struck by a line drive, slipped awkwardly, and buckled his knee before collapsing. Roupp was carted off and later placed on the 15-day injured list with left knee inflammation. “It’s such an unfortunate moment, especially for him, obviously, but for the team, too,” shortstop Willy Adames said. “He’s been doing really good for us all year long. He just came back, and now this happened. It’s really sad.”
The Padres capitalized, with Gavin Sheets homering twice — including a three-run blast in the third — and Ryan O’Hearn adding another RBI single and a solo shot. O’Hearn has now driven in runs in each of the first three games of the series, tormenting San Francisco.
Even when the Giants threatened to swing momentum, San Diego had the answer. Fernando Tatis Jr. scaled the wall to rob Devers of a home run, drawing a grin from the Giants’ slugger despite the blow. Manager Bob Melvin admitted afterward, “We’ve seen different guys, and we’re still figuring out roles right now.”
The loss dropped San Francisco deeper into the standings while the Padres pulled within a single game of the Dodgers for the division lead.
Justin Verlander’s difficult season took another hit in Game 4. He allowed seven runs on seven hits in 4.1 innings, dropping his record to 1–10. The Giants briefly held a 2–0 lead on Andrew Knizner’s RBI double and a Ramos groundout, but Verlander’s fifth inning unraveled after a bunt single, two defensive errors, and a Machado two-run double.
By the end of the inning, the Padres had batted around, scoring six times to seize control. Machado finished with three RBIs, marking his 104th career game with three or more. Bogaerts and Ramón Laureano added run-scoring hits to pad the lead.
San Francisco’s minor highlights came in the sixth, when Devers and Adames launched back-to-back homers, trimming the deficit to 8–4. Joel Peguero provided a bright spot out of the bullpen, tossing two scoreless innings in his major-league debut exactly 10 years after signing his first professional contract.
The Padres took three of four, outscoring the Giants 24–10, and have now beaten San Francisco in six of their last seven meetings. Over the past two series, the Padres hold a 44–13 scoring edge. At one point 41–29, the Giants have since gone 20–38, sliding behind the Diamondbacks in the standings. Despite offseason moves to acquire Willy Adames and Rafael Devers, and the return of Lee from injury, the team has spiraled into a sourly disappointing season. With postseason hopes all but extinguished, Bob Melvin now finds himself firmly on the hot seat as questions about the club’s direction intensify.
The series opened with promise. Robbie Ray carried a no-hit bid into the seventh inning before a Casey Schmitt error unraveled things. Ryan O’Hearn followed with a two-run homer, but Ray still secured the win, improving to 10–6 after 6.2 innings of three-hit ball with six strikeouts and just one walk. Randy Rodríguez earned his fourth save by finishing a tense ninth.
San Francisco’s offense jumped on Padres starter Nestor Cortes early, scoring four runs in the first. Heliot Ramos, Rafael Devers, and Wilmer Flores all went deep, with Flores delivering a two-run shot. Jung Ho Lee extended his hitting streak to seven games, and the Giants held on for a 4–3 win, snapping their home misery while extending San Diego’s losing streak to four games.
A bizarre moment saw Xander Bogaerts lose a home run to fan interference, prompting Padres manager Mike Shildt’s ejection.
But momentum quickly evaporated in Game 2. Rookie Kai-Wei Teng allowed three runs across 3.1 innings, striking out four but struggling to command the zone. Spencer Bivens and Carson Seymour combined for 4.1 innings of relief, but both yielded runs as the Giants fell 5–1.
Lee provided nearly all the offense, smashing a 400-foot leadoff home run — his sixth of the year — and later doubling in the fifth. He finished with two of San Francisco’s four hits, stretching his hit streak to eight games.
Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta stifled the Giants with 10 strikeouts in six innings, improving to 13–4. Manager Bob Melvin defended Teng afterward, saying defensive miscues had made the outing look worse than it was.
Things unraveled quickly in Game 3, which also landed on Jung Ho Lee’s birthday. Lee extended his hit streak to nine games with a single, but it was little consolation in an 8–1 loss. The Giants mustered only four hits, including Lee’s, a Heliot Ramos single, a Christian Koss single, and Casey Schmitt’s solo homer — their lone run of the night.
Landen Roupp’s outing ended painfully. After surrendering five runs in 2.1 innings, he was struck by a line drive, slipped awkwardly, and buckled his knee before collapsing. Roupp was carted off and later placed on the 15-day injured list with left knee inflammation. “It’s such an unfortunate moment, especially for him, obviously, but for the team, too,” shortstop Willy Adames said. “He’s been doing really good for us all year long. He just came back, and now this happened. It’s really sad.”
The Padres capitalized, with Gavin Sheets homering twice — including a three-run blast in the third — and Ryan O’Hearn adding another RBI single and a solo shot. O’Hearn has now driven in runs in each of the first three games of the series, tormenting San Francisco.
Even when the Giants threatened to swing momentum, San Diego had the answer. Fernando Tatis Jr. scaled the wall to rob Devers of a home run, drawing a grin from the Giants’ slugger despite the blow. Manager Bob Melvin admitted afterward, “We’ve seen different guys, and we’re still figuring out roles right now.”
The loss dropped San Francisco deeper into the standings while the Padres pulled within a single game of the Dodgers for the division lead.
Justin Verlander’s difficult season took another hit in Game 4. He allowed seven runs on seven hits in 4.1 innings, dropping his record to 1–10. The Giants briefly held a 2–0 lead on Andrew Knizner’s RBI double and a Ramos groundout, but Verlander’s fifth inning unraveled after a bunt single, two defensive errors, and a Machado two-run double.
By the end of the inning, the Padres had batted around, scoring six times to seize control. Machado finished with three RBIs, marking his 104th career game with three or more. Bogaerts and Ramón Laureano added run-scoring hits to pad the lead.
San Francisco’s minor highlights came in the sixth, when Devers and Adames launched back-to-back homers, trimming the deficit to 8–4. Joel Peguero provided a bright spot out of the bullpen, tossing two scoreless innings in his major-league debut exactly 10 years after signing his first professional contract.
The Padres took three of four, outscoring the Giants 24–10, and have now beaten San Francisco in six of their last seven meetings. Over the past two series, the Padres hold a 44–13 scoring edge. At one point 41–29, the Giants have since gone 20–38, sliding behind the Diamondbacks in the standings. Despite offseason moves to acquire Willy Adames and Rafael Devers, and the return of Lee from injury, the team has spiraled into a sourly disappointing season. With postseason hopes all but extinguished, Bob Melvin now finds himself firmly on the hot seat as questions about the club’s direction intensify.
