Two teams struggling offensively hope a change of scenery can provide a cure when the San Diego Padres open a three-game road series against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night.
The National League West rivals will be meeting for the second time this season, with the Giants having won two of three in San Diego in the initial head-to-head in the first week of the schedule.
The Giants have won just four of nine series since then, neither of which came on a just completed 0-6 trip to Philadelphia and Tampa Bay in which the visitors never homered and totaled just nine runs.
To add insult to injury, both getaway-day games were lost in extra innings, including a 2-1, 10-inning affair against the Rays on Sunday in St. Petersburg, Fla.
“On the mental side, it’s a confidence challenge,” first-year Giants manager Tony Vitello explained to reporters after Sunday’s loss. “Confidence is a choice, but it’s not an easy choice. A lot of times it’s dictated by results and outcomes, and we literally had nothing to show for the road trip.”
The trip also had a negative impact in another way. Because of a rainout in Philadelphia and a subsequent doubleheader on Thursday, Vitello opted to use two of his starting pitchers — Logan Webb and Adrian Houser — in the twin bill.
So, instead of having Hauser rested and ready to throw the series opener Monday, the Giants are expected to start Trevor McDonald in his season debut after recalling the right-hander from Triple-A.
McDonald was summoned from Triple-A Sacramento to possibly start the second game Thursday as the doubleheader-allowed 27th man, but Vitello chose to go with Hauser. McDonald was sent back to Sacramento the next day.
The 25-year-old has pitched four games for the Giants over the past two seasons (two starts), none of which having been against the Padres. He is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA, three walks and 15 strikeouts over 18 innings in 2024-25.
San Diego completed a 2-4 homestand with a 4-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday. The Padres, who had lost their previous four games, were held to four runs or fewer for the fifth straight time.
Mason Miller saved the streak-snapping win with a three-strikeout performance in a one-run game in the ninth inning, recording his major league-leading 11th save.
The record-setting closer recorded his first 48 saves for the team that used to reside across the San Francisco Bay — the then-Oakland Athletics. He’s been even better as a second-year Padre, striking out 32 in 16 1/3 innings this season.
Without intending to disrespect his A’s coaches, Miller has credited Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla for his rise to prominence in San Diego.
“The results and the success of the pitching here in recent years under Ruben is undeniable,” Miller assured the media recently. “He does a great job of empowering his guys, supporting them, pushing them, challenging them.”
Right-hander Randy Vasquez (3-0, 2.94 ERA) is expected to get the ball to get the series rolling for the Padres. He did not pitch in the earlier series against the Giants and, in fact, has never faced them in his four-year career.
–Field Level Media
