SF Giants outclassed by Padres, muster just two singles in blowout loss

SAN DIEGO — The Giants would’ve had to play one heck of a game on Friday night at Petco Park to salvage a day where the team suspended payment to Harrison Bader due to last weekend’s scooter accident. Alas, the nine innings that followed that news were no saving grace.

Rookie Carson Whisehunt had an outing where he struggled to find the zone, while the offense mustered just two hits. In a game where the Giants were completely outclassed, the end result was a 7-0 loss to the San Diego Padres.

“Gets to be in a difficult position when you get punched in the mouth repeatedly out of the gate,” said manager Tony Vitello.

Vitello had already spoken to reporters pregame when the team made its decision to suspend Bader’s pay “until he is able to resume performing services for the Club,” president of baseball operations Buster Posey wrote in a statement. When asked about the team’s decision, Vitello responded, “To be blunt, here, it doesn’t mean a lot.”

“I’m aware of it, but it was right before the game,” Vitello said. “I haven’t really dove much into it. I’ll do whatever’s asked of me, but we’ve got our hands full here. So, the guys that are present — it’s not like you’re not mindful of [Casey Schmitt] or anybody else that’s not here. But the guys that are here are the most important, and obviously, this is still every meaningful to us.”

There was a moment where the Giants appeared to make their first deal ahead of Monday’s trade deadline. Second baseman Luis Arraez exited the game before the bottom of the seventh inning, and it was fair to wonder whether Arraez’s time as a Giant was over. Alas, he isn’t going anywhere just yet, exiting the game early due to cramps.

Arraez recorded one of the Giants’ two singles on the night, the other belonging to Christian Koss. The only other Giant to reach base was Rafael Devers, who drew a walk. San Francisco’s offense couldn’t manufacture anything on a night where the Padres started opener Bradgley Rodriguez before rolling out Yuki Matsui for three innings and Germán Márquez for an ultra-rare five-inning save.

San Diego’s offense, by contrast, totaled 12 hits, the loudest being rookie Jase Bowen’s first career home run in the bottom of the fourth.

Whisenhunt, making his second start since being recalled, ended his night with a subpar final line: 3 1/3 innings, seven hits, six runs, four walks, three strikeouts. Adrian Houser followed Whisenhunt by allowing just one run over 4 2/3 innings, saving manager Tony Vitello from having to burn any more arms.

“It was rough,” Vitello said of Whisenhunt. “I mean, they bumrushed him a little bit. Got to the fastball. Changeups, obviously, a big weapon for him, and it had been in the starts he’d been successful in. Just didn’t get to that point until deep in the order.”

Of the 26 changeups that Whisenhunt threw, more than two-thirds (18) landed outside the strike zone. Some of those changeups nearly nicked the bottom of the zone, but most were uncompetitive. Six of those changeups — nearly a quarter — were balls in the dirt.

There’s no shortage of evaluators who have assessed Whisenhunt’s changeup to be an 80-grade offering on the 20-80 scouting scale. Still, his changeup is only as effective as his ability to locate.

“Didn’t have a feel for really anything, is what it felt like,” Whisenhunt said. “Just got to make better pitches.”

Up next

Tyler Mahle (3-9, 4.96 ERA) will make potentially his last start as a Giant on Saturday night and go up against the Padres’ Walker Buehler (6-5, 5.13 ERA).