SF Giants drop season opener to Padres in San Diego

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb (62) delivers during the first inning of an opening day baseball game against San Diego Padres, Thursday, March 28, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

2024.03.28 – A bullpen meltdown in the seventh inning spoiled a good game by the Giants, San Francisco drop the Season Opener with a 6-4 loss to the San Diego Padres in San Diego.

Bob Melvin managed the Padres for the last two seasons before leaving for the Giants with a year left on his contract. He skippered the Padres into the 2022 NL Championship Series and then presided over a disappointing season that included reports of an irreparable relationship with general manager A.J. Preller. He was replaced by Mike Shildt.

Jung Hoo Lee hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the seventh inning of his first big league game to put the Giants ahead 3-2 in the seventh.

But the Padres responded in the bottom of the inning. Luis Campusano hit a leadoff single and took third on Tyler Wade’s single to right. Campusano scored on catcher Patrick Bailey’s errant throw when Wade stole second. Xander Bogaerts hit a go-ahead RBI single two batters ahead of Cronenworth’s double.

Thaibodia Bistro

2024.03.28 (SF Giants vs. SD Padres) See Full Highlights

San Francisco Giants coach Bob Melvin (left) and team during the season opening day of a baseball game against San Diego Padres, Thursday, March 28, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

2024.03.28 (SF Giants vs. SD Padres) See Full Highlights

Watch this video on YouTube

2024.03.28 (SF Giants vs. SD Padres) See Full Highlights

Lee singled in the fifth for his first big league hit. He played seven seasons in Korea before signing a $113 million, six-year contract with the Giants. Nick Ahmed hit a tying RBI single ahead of Lee in the seventh.

Padres newcomer Yuki Matsui (1-0) got the win and Robert Suarez pitched the ninth for his second save. He gave up Michael Conforto’s home run for his third hit.

Luke Jackson (0-1) left with an injury in the seventh after facing three batters and failing to get an out.

Logan Webb, the 2023 NL Cy Young Award runner-up to new teammate Blake Snell, was perfect the first time through the order. He allowed two runs and five hits in six innings, with five strikeouts and two walks.

Webb went through spring training without a promising outing as he was consistently hit hard and struggled to find a feel for his changeup. Hopped up on the adrenaline from the Petco Park season-opening crowd, the Giants’ right-hander stopped overthinking about where his pitches would land and snapped back into his Cy Young finalist form.

“It felt like the ball was doing what it was supposed to do,” Webb said. “Spring training is tough because there’s not a whole lot of adrenaline going. So you can get into patterns thinking about mechanics and the way the ball is moving. It was nice to get out there and get the adrenaline going.”

Webb held the Padres hitless until the fourth inning, then used infield defense behind him to navigate basepath traffic. He gave up two runs in a troublesome fifth inning, but escaped the start with five strikeouts, five hits allowed and two walks in six innings.

“He pitched great, even the hits he gave up were groundballs,” manager Bob Melvin said. “They stayed up the middle with a few, weren’t hit hard. He pitched out of jams, too.”

2024.03.28 – Giants vs. Padres – (NBC Sports – Post Recap)

San Francisco Giants Michael Conforto (center) reaching home base during an opening day baseball game against San Diego Padres, Thursday, March 28, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

2024.03.28 – Giants vs. Padres – (NBC Sports – Post Recap)

Watch this video on YouTube

2024.03.28 – Giants vs. Padres – (NBC Sports – Post Recap)

Webb’s changeup, slider and sinker whipped as they usually do to generate weak contact, allowing just four hard hits — defined as a ball hit with at least a 95-mph exit velocity — against a San Diego lineup designed to hit with might.

Padres honored Seidler

From a pregame moment of silence to Fernando Tatis Jr.’s custom cleats and a large heart in center field with the initials PS, the memory of late Padres owner Peter Seidler was everywhere at Petco Park.

Jake Cronenworth’s two-run double highlighted a four-run seventh inning for the Padres and Tatis and Tyler Wade contributed heads-up baserunning. Coupled with a 15-11 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers for a two-game split last week in Seoul, South Korea,the Padres appear eager to put their flop of 2023 behind them.

“Being able to be able to bounce back, and right away, I feel that’s a good sign that this year is different,” said Xander Bogaerts, who had an RBI single in the seventh-inning rally. “We should forget about last year and continue to build on what we have going on right now. That’s a really good sign, a great indicator.”

Seidler, who pledged hundreds of millions of dollars in an effort to bring a World Series title to his adopted hometown, died on Nov. 14 at age 63. His widow, Sheel, threw the ceremonial first pitch.

Tatis wore a pair of custom cleats with an image of Seidler on the sides.

“I feel they came out just perfect,” Tatis said. “It’s part of our story; he’s part of my story. The guy was with me, holding my back in my darkest moment and cheering me the most when I was in the highest. Everything we’re doing this season is for Peter, and for the years to come, too.”

Seidler was in attendance on April 20 in Phoenix when Tatis returned from an 80-game suspension for positive test for a performance-enhancing drug.

Coolsculpting try it today.

2024.03.28 – Giants vs. Padres – (Locked On post game)

San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey (left) holding home base during an opening day baseball game against San Diego Padres, Thursday, March 28, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)