Giants beat Padres despite nearly beating themselves

A six-run, three-homer 4th was nearly derailed by defensive mishaps in 7-6 win over Padres

Padres starter Joe Musgrove had been on autopilot through the first three innings and change. He attacked the zone with a bevy of curveballs and cut-fastballs and breaking balls, retiring the first ten Giants batters he faced. He struck out lead off man Grant McCray on three pitches. He K’ed the side in the 3rd, needing just 35 pitches to stroll through three scoreless frames. Again McCray came up empty on a 2-2 curve, this time leading off the 4th—Musgrove’s 6th strikeout in 3.1 innings. Over the airwaves, Jon Miller mused that the quality of the right-hander’s offerings might be no-hit stuff.

On cue, on the very next pitch, right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. lost a routine fly off the bat of Heliot Ramos in the sun. Shielding the ball with his throwing hand (typically one uses the glove), his sunglasses nowhere on his person (surprising since it was the 4th inning of a home game, and one would assume the always stylish Tatis wouldn’t deny himself an opportunity to rock his Pit Vipers), Tatis ducked out of the way right as the ball glanced off his chest and kicked to the corner, allowing Ramos to settle at second.

An unassuming fly who’s miniscule weight tipped the scales. Musgrove didn’t record another out in the inning until six batters, six hits, and six runs later.

Matt Chapman drilled a first-pitch fastball 419 feet to open up the scoring. Five pitches after Chapman’s 23rd blast, Jerar Encarnacion pulled a 1-0 cutter over the left field wall for a 3-run homer.

Four pitches after that Luis Matos lined another into the seats for San Francisco’s sixth run in the inning on their third homer.

It was the Giants first time collecting three home runs in an inning since going back-to-back-to-back against Colorado exactly a year ago (a game I also recapped…and a game I referred to an umpire disregarding a Van Gogh masterpiece, which apparently is a joke I often employ. All great writers steal recycle.)

A six-run 4th inflated by Curt Casali’s first homer of the year in the 6th ended up being just enough to claim the rubber match of the series, but it should’ve been plenty.

In his second start of his career, Spencer Bivens pitched through 4.1 innings, allowing a run on a solo shot by Jackson Merrill. Erik Miller closed out the 5th by inducing a double play ball and worked around a walk to Manny Machado in the 6th.

But things got dicey with the Rogers twins on the mound in the 7th. Taylor (the smart one) recorded one out, walked two and gave up a single to the irrepressible Luis Arraez (his third hit of the day). He handed the reins to his brother, Tyler (the handsome one) with the bases loaded who promptly K’ed Tatis on three pitches. An undeniably badass move that had to be immediately undermined by a comedy of errors. Of course, we should’ve known—cruising to a relaxing 7-1 win just isn’t the Giants’ style.

A pitch after fanning Tatis, an inside sinker rose beyond Casali’s reach and kicked to the backstop allowing San Diego’s second run to score. On Rogers’s next offering, Jurickson Profar lifted a harmless pop-up to Marco Luciano who settled under it in the outfield grass only to have a wandering Tyler Fitzgerald run into him and knock the ball from his glove. Two runs scored and the infielders had to be separated by Matt Williams in the dugout after the inning was over. Both were probably at fault. Luciano wasn’t loud enough or clear enough in calling for the ball, and Fitzgerald was probably too aggressive in his pursuit of a ball well beyond his position.

In the 8th, Xander Bogaerts made things even more interesting with a 2-run homer off Camilo Doval, putting the Padres within one run of the Giants. After putting the tying run on base by way of a walk, Bob Melvin called on Ryan Walker to complete his first career five-out save. Walker obliged and found ways to cut corners too. A pick-off erased the consequential base runner at first before getting Donovan Solano to ground out to end the 8th, and in the 9th, he made quick work of Arraez, Tatis and Profar to secure his 7th save and San Francisco’s first series win since their August three-game set against the White Sox.

Day off tomorrow, before a six-game home stand against the Brewers and these Padres.