Giants at Padres
The San Francisco Giants brought in Evan Longoria and Andrew McCutchen during the offseason to boost their lagging offense, but the early returns have been decidedly mixed. The veteran duo looks to get untracked Saturday when the Giants continue their four-game series against the host San Diego Padres, who have had their own early-season struggles at the plate.
After being held to one hit in Thursday’s 7-0 series-opening loss, the Padres bounced back with eight hits in Friday’s 5-1 victory, including Franchy Cordero’s second home run in three games. The win came hours after the team learned that promising starting pitcher Dinelson Lamet will undergo Tommy John surgery for a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and will be out for the next 12-to-15 months. San Francisco has scored fewer than two runs in seven of its first 13 games and needs more production from Longoria and McCutchen, who are both hitting below .205 after going a combined 0-for-8 with three strikeouts on Friday. McCutchen has delivered two walk-off hits while starting every game but has just 11 hits in 54 at-bats, with six of the hits coming in a single game on April 7 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
TV: 8:40 p.m. ET, NBCSN Bay Area (San Francisco), FS San Diego
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants LH Derek Holland (0-2, 4.09 ERA) vs. Padres LH Clayton Richard (1-1, 5.29)
Holland was a hard-luck loser against Arizona last Monday, allowing two runs on two hits with one walk over six innings. After pitching his first eight seasons for Texas, Holland moved to the Chicago White Sox last season and struggled in the second half, going 2-5 with an 8.93 ERA in his final 12 games (nine starts). The 31-year-old is facing San Diego for the first time since June 27, 2009, when he allowed seven runs (six earned runs) on 13 hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Richard crushed a three-run homer and allowed four runs over five innings in last Monday’s 7-6 win over Colorado at Coors Field. The 34-year-old native of Indiana also registered a pinch-hit single for the Padres’ lone hit in Thursday’s loss to San Francisco. Buster Posey is 12-for-29 with two homers and nine RBIs against Richard, who owns a 6-7 record and 4.11 ERA in 20 career games (17 starts) against the Giants.
WALK-OFFS
1. Posey went 0-for-4 on Friday, snapping his 10-game hitting streak.
2. San Diego RHP Luis Perdomo received a five-game suspension for his role in Wednesday’s fracas against Colorado.
3. The Giants are hitting .168 (17-for-101) with runners in scoring position.