For all the fretting over opening the season without Brian
Wilson, the San Francisco Giants didn’t blow a save while their
All-Star closer was on the disabled list. The downside: They didn’t
have an opportunity. Madison Bumgarner got harassed in a 41-pitch
third inning Tuesday night, the San Diego bullpen remained as
protective as an attack dog, and the Giants lost for the fourth
time in five games, this time a 3-1 defeat in the Padres’ home
opener at Petco Park.
SAN DIEGO
For all the fretting over opening the season without Brian Wilson, the San Francisco Giants didn’t blow a save while their All-Star closer was on the disabled list.
The downside: They didn’t have an opportunity.
Madison Bumgarner got harassed in a 41-pitch third inning Tuesday night, the San Diego bullpen remained as protective as an attack dog, and the Giants lost for the fourth time in five games, this time a 3-1 defeat in the Padres’ home opener at Petco Park.
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The Giants expect to activate Wilson before Wednesday’s game at San Diego, and they surely hope he’ll be more than a black-bearded hood ornament.
They’ve had just one late-inning lead to protect in this young season, and that was in a 10-0 blowout Saturday at Dodger Stadium.
The Padres, who paced the NL West for 148 days last season, were pesky as ever while scoring their runs on a sacrifice fly, a bases-loaded walk and Chris Denorfia’s generously scored infield single — a nubber in front of the plate that slipped out of Bumgarner’s hand.
Although there was some frustration with the strike zone, Bochy didn’t single out plate umpire Marvin Hudson or reprimand his 21-year-old pitcher for getting frustrated on the mound.
“This kid’s young, and he’s going to be fine,” said Bochy, who lifted Bumgarner after the Padres hit a leadoff double in the fourth. “The game didn’t get out of hand, and give him credit there. We’re just hoping this offense gets clicking. Outside of one game, we’re not getting a lot of timely hits on this trip.”
The Giants got off to a good start against San Diego native Aaron Harang in his Padres debut, manufacturing a run in the first inning when Andres Torres hit a leadoff single, stole second base and advanced on two ground outs.
But Hudson’s strike zone came into play after the Giants loaded the bases in the third. Buster Posey took a big step toward first base after taking a fringy 3-1 pitch. Hudson called it a strike, and Posey grounded back to the mound on the next pitch to strand the runners.
In the bottom of the inning, Bumgarner appeared to throw a 2-2 pitch to the same spot to Chase Headley. But he didn’t get the strike call, and Headley walked to force in the tiebreaking run.
Bumgarner said Hudson “did a fine job back there.” Posey also was diplomatic, if less effusive, saying, “I don’t know. It is what it is.”
It’s easy to forget that Bumgarner, who remained so composed in Game 4 of the World Series, is even younger than rookie first baseman Brandon Belt. Bumgarner’s 41-pitch inning was the last thing the Giants wanted to see in the young pitcher’s season debut, especially after he ratcheted up his innings in the postseason as a rookie last October.
“The pitch count, it caught up to him in that inning,” Bochy said. “He was probably getting a little frustrated out there, trying to make a great pitch.”
Bumgarner credited the Padres with tough at-bats. Headley’s walk lasted eight pitches with multiple fouls, and Ryan Ludwick preceded it with a 10-pitch at-bat in which he flicked off several quality strikes. But the left-hander confessed he got too eager on Denorfia’s ball.
“I was trying to hurry and throw it before I picked it up,” he said.
“That’s what I’ve been working on, trying to keep my composure. That’s what I want to do each time out, whether it’s good or bad.
“It could’ve been a lot worse. There’s no telling how bad it could’ve been.”
Guillermo Mota offered three scoreless relief innings to keep the Giants in the game. But the Padres bullpen, which was so instrumental to their success last season, shut the door. Luke Gregerson, Mike Adams and closer Heath Bell each fired a scoreless inning.
The Giants can only hope they don’t repeat last season’s early-season fortunes against the Padres, who beat them in their first seven meetings. Of course, the Giants are supposed to have a much-improved lineup now.
Bochy isn’t ready to juggle the names after five games; he kept Aubrey Huff in right field two days after a rough defensive game contributed to a loss at Dodger Stadium, and Bochy plans to give his regulars an extended chance to settle in.
“As we get a larger sample here, if we need to change it, we will,” Bochy said.
— Story by Andrew Baggarly, San Jose Mercury News
