One day after a newcomer contributed to the team’s best offensive output in almost three weeks, the San Francisco Giants hope for more from another fresh face when they seek a four-game series split with the visiting San Diego Padres on Thursday afternoon.
With Daniel Johnson chipping in with two hits and two runs, the Giants ended a streak of 16 consecutive games with four or fewer runs when they rallied from a 5-0 deficit to stun the Padres 6-5 on Wednesday night.
The relative explosion occurred after the Giants had dropped 1-0 and 3-2 decisions, both in 10 innings, to open the series, continuing an offensive slump that resulted in a roster shake-up before Wednesday’s game. The club not only promoted Johnson from Triple-A, but signed Dominic Smith off the scrap heap after he had opted out of a minor league deal with the New York Yankees.
Fan favorite LaMonte Wade Jr. and Sam Huff were designated for assignment to create roster spots on a team that had lost six of its last eight games.
After the win, Giants manager Bob Melvin praised Smith despite an 0-for-4 night and gushed over a lead-saving, running catch by Johnson in right-center field that complemented his offensive production.
“Man, he went a long way for that ball. That was huge,” Melvin said of Luis Arraez’s bid for extra bases with a man aboard in the ninth. “Little different look today. Next thing you know, you look up and we have six runs. Little different feeling.”
Hoping to share in that feeling in the series finale will be left-hander Robbie Ray (7-1, 2.43 ERA), who was named National League Pitcher of the Month after going 4-1 with a 1.38 ERA in six starts in May.
The loss came in his most recent outing, when the Giants were beaten 1-0 at Miami on Saturday. Ray allowed just one run and two hits over seven innings in the defeat.
The 33-year-old has gone 5-6 with a 4.27 ERA in 18 career starts against the Padres.
A matchup with the Padres means a rekindling of a rivalry between Ray and Manny Machado that dates back to the pitcher’s days with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the slugger’s prior life with the Baltimore Orioles.
Machado bombed Ray for home runs in two of their first 13 lifetime head-to-heads, but the veteran pitcher has held his rival hitless in their last six duels, striking him out twice.
Machado has five hits in the series.
“When he’s in a good spot, (he’s) got that nice easy stroke going, putting a good swing on the baseball,” Padres manager Mike Shildt observed. “When he does that consistently — watch out.”
Shildt has scheduled right-hander Dylan Cease (1-4, 4.66) for the get-away game.
The Padres have alternated wins and losses in his last eight starts, falling 5-0 to the Pittsburgh Pirates at home last Saturday in his most recent outing. He has allowed one, two or three runs in all eight of those starts.
This will be the 29-year-old’s seventh career start against the Giants. He’s gone 3-2 with a 2.76 ERA against them.
–Field Level Media
