San Francisco Giants vs. San Diego Padres Pick & Prediction SEPTEMBER 8th 2024
Preview and Prediction
San Diego Padres' rookie Jackson Merrill, who is in the running for Rookie of the Year, was unable to play in the team's 6-3 loss against the San Francisco Giants on Saturday night. This was due to a patella contusion he suffered after hitting his knee with a foul ball during Friday's game.
Manager Mike Shildt is hopeful that Merrill will be able to return for Sunday's game and the final game of the homestand. Shildt stated, "He feels optimistic about being able to get in there (Sunday). We'll take inventory as the day progresses."
One reason for optimism is that Merrill was able to pinch hit in the ninth inning of Saturday's game, although he did make an out. Merrill has been a standout player for the Padres, with a batting average of .289, 22 home runs, and 82 RBIs, which is a franchise record for a rookie.
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Despite missing Merrill and right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr., the Padres (81-63) had numerous opportunities to win the game. They managed to get 10 hits off of Giants' ace Logan Webb in six innings, but were only able to score three runs as Webb induced three double plays to minimize the damage and secure the win.
The game was a missed opportunity for the Padres, who could have increased their lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks for the top wild-card spot in the National League after the Diamondbacks' 11-5 loss to the Houston Astros. However, the Padres remain 1 1/2 games ahead of the Diamondbacks, but are now five games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.
San Diego will look to win the series with their best pitcher in the past month, right-hander Joe Musgrove (5-4, 4.09 ERA). Since returning from the injured list last month, Musgrove has only allowed four runs in five starts.
In his most recent start against the Detroit Tigers on Monday, Musgrove pitched six scoreless innings, allowing only three hits, walking two, and striking out eight. His ERA has dropped by almost a full run since returning from his second stint on the injured list this season.
Musgrove has a career record of 4-4 with a 4.03 ERA in 14 starts against the Giants. His only start against them this season was in March, where he gave up eight hits and four runs in 5 2/3 innings, resulting in an 8-3 loss.
On the other side, the San Francisco Giants (70-73) will be aiming for a series win after rookie Grant McCray hit two home runs totaling 844 feet in Saturday's game. His three-run homer in the second inning gave the Giants the lead, and his two-run homer in the ninth provided some insurance runs.
Manager Bob Melvin has been impressed with McCray's performance in his 19-game trial and is already considering the possibility of an outfield consisting of McCray, Jung Hoo Lee, and Heliot Ramos in 2025. Ramos has had a breakout season this year, hitting 20 home runs.
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Melvin stated, "It's exciting - and athletic. I think that's something we need to look at a little bit harder, is how games are played in our ballpark. I think in our ballpark, that's really going to play."
The Giants' scheduled starter for Sunday, Kyle Harrison, was placed on the injured list with left shoulder inflammation after their 8-7 loss to the Diamondbacks on Tuesday. Right-hander Spencer Bivens is listed as the probable starter in Harrison's place. Bivens has a record of 3-1 with a 2.86 ERA in 19 appearances this season, with only one start. He has never faced the Padres before.
San Francisco Giants vs. San Diego Padres Recap SEP 8TH 2024
Rookie Grant McCray homered twice and knocked in five runs on Saturday night as the visiting San Francisco Giants posted a 6-3 win over the San Diego Padres.
McCray erased an early 2-0 deficit with a three-run blast in the second inning off San Diego starter Dylan Cease (12-11), then added insurance in the ninth by cracking a two-run homer off reliever Yuki Matsui. McCray entered the contest hitting .246 with three homers in 18 big-league games this season.
Giants starter Logan Webb (12-9) lasted six innings to earn the victory, scattering 10 hits and three runs to go along with two walks and three strikeouts. Webb was helped by a defense that turned three double plays, including one that hampered a potential big first inning.
Three relievers got the final nine outs for the Giants, with Ryan Walker pitching the ninth for his sixth save of the year as San Francisco improved to 70-73 and took a 5-4 lead against San Diego in the season series.
Cease permitted six hits and four runs over six innings, walking two and fanning four. The loss dropped the Padres to 81-63, although they remained 1 1/2 games ahead of Arizona for the National League's first wild-card spot after the Diamondbacks' 11-5 loss to the Houston Astros earlier Saturday.
San Diego started quickly for the third straight game with two runs in the first, but Webb did a solid job of limiting the damage the rest of the way. The first four men of the frame reached, with Manny Machado singling home Luis Arraez. Webb induced a double-play ball from Xander Bogaerts that plated the second run, then got David Peralta to fly out.
McCray put the Giants ahead for good an inning later, unloading a no-doubt homer to right field that soared an estimated 417 feet and traveled about halfway into the lower deck. Two innings later, his double-play grounder scored Patrick Bailey for a 4-2 advantage.
Arraez's third hit of the game, an RBI single in the fifth, pulled the Padres within 4-3.