Another early error

The season bumbles on.

The San Francisco Giants, who were able to overcome a 2-run hole after an unfurnished defensive 1st inning against Arizona on Thursday, couldn’t pull the same rabbit out of their hat on Friday.

A wide relay to second from Tyler Fitzgerald gifted the Padres two runs in the 1st. It ended up being plenty. The Giants spent the next eight offensive frames flailing their arms after the baseball with little success, managing just a solo homer in the 6th from Michael Conforto in the 5-1 loss.

The 1st wasn’t off to the greatest start to begin with. Originally projected starter Kyle Harrison had been put on the injured list, effectively shut down for the season, making room for Mason Black to gain invaluable on-the-job experience. You really can’t put a price tag on that 100%, Grade-A stress that only a surging Major League offense can provide, and the surging Padres obliged immediately.

Luis Arraez and Fernando Tatis Jr. both singled to lead off the frame: one on a well-located and elevated fastball and the other on a sweeper off the plate. Two decent offerings immediately punched into the outfield. With speed and confidence on the base path, the Padres chose to be aggressive and tagged up on a medium-deep fly ball to right-center off the bat of Jurickson Profar.

The first error, though not an official one on the box score, came from Mike Yastrzemski. He had to range into Grant McCray’s territory in center for the fly, and it looked like he tried to position his body in a way that made it look like he was throwing to second, but then threw across his body towards third. A convoluted move that took the power out of his far-fetched attempt at Arraez, nor did it do much to deke or deter the speedy Tatis from breaking for second and taking away the opportunity for an inning-ending double play.

A brain fart by Yaz but not one that causes fans to bury their faces in their shirt collars to avoid the stench—that came moments later as Fitzgerald sailed the ball wide of a second in an attempt to catch the advancing Tatis. Marco Luciano could only turn and watch as the ball shot by him into an empty right field, and the 40-thousand odd people in attendance at Petco Park were transported across San Diego Bay to Point Loma Little League, my old stomping grounds, where a baseball rolling towards right field corner in the opposite direction of every other person on the field is a far more common occurrence.

Both runners scrambled to their feet and jogged home, and Yaz, as the “closest” , had to go retrieve the ball.

It was Fitzgerald’s 12th error of the season, his ninth in 55 appearances at shortstop and his fourth throwing error. 2024 has been a breakout campaign in so many ways for Fitzgerald his inexperience has often reared its cherubic head. Alex Pavlovic reported on a clubhouse sit down between Matt Chapman and Fitzgerald that probably played out more like a lecture than a conversation between peers. The decision to force a throw was certainly part of the talk, also Fitzgerald’s odd habit of reaching for pop-ups and fly balls that the third baseman is clearly settled under.

This infield is Chapman’s for the next six seasons, and rule number one is to stay out of his way. In these moments, it’s clear that Fitzgerald is playing the part of the shortstop rather than playing shortstop, insisting he’s the leader of the infield rather than showing it, often betraying a youthful misunderstanding of when something is a lost cause, when a play is dead, when to cut your losses and stuff the ball into your back pocket.

September 2024 has become fall ball for 2025, and it’ll be interesting whether an infield of Chapman, Fitzgerald and Luciano around the horn will inspire confidence or worry. It seems silly to box in one of the greatest defenders in a generation with a pair of roughly-formed middle infielders. Shortstop is Fitzgerald’s natural position and he has good range but his arm and decision making suits second. Luciano doesn’t appear natural at either position, Casey Schmitt has struggled away from the hot-corner, an organizational role he has officially lost, and Brett Wisely hasn’t bloomed past a utility role. There’s a lot to like about Fitzgerald and progress will continue to be made, but I’m also pretty sure Chapman would join the likes of Bob Melvin, Jung Hoo Lee, Logan Webb and the rest of current and future San Francisco arms clamoring for someone like Ha-Seong Kim to add some more gold-laden stability to their infield.

An out into the bottom of the 1st, two runs in on a Little League error and then Manny Machado called game, yanking a 2-2 sweeper over the left field wall. Another solo shot in the 8th for Machado tied the Padres’ all-time home run record.

Even though Black settled in well, the three run frame was plenty for Padres starter Michael King, who makes his living on camouflaging a devastating change-up in a field of mid-90s sinkers and four-seam fastballs. Conforto’s 6th inning homer was the only run scored off the right-hander, they were hitless in four at-bats with runners in scoring position.

Believe it or not, the Giants have to play another one today.