Giants at Padres
Hunter Renfroe hasn't done much to change his reputation as an all-or-nothing hitter in the early going, but the power he has supplied recently in Wil Myers' absence has the San Diego Padres feeling pretty good about themselves. The Padres go for a second straight series win against a National League West rival on Sunday, when they wrap up a four-game home set against the San Francisco Giants.
With Myers sidelined for all but three games this season due to injury, Renfroe has taken over as the primary right fielder. A .238 career hitter with more strikeouts (157) than hits (124) who has posted a .190 average in 2018, San Diego's 2013 first-round draft pick has made his hits count lately, delivering a tiebreaking three-run blast in a win against Colorado on Tuesday before belting a go-ahead, two-run shot in Saturday's 5-4 triumph. While the Padres bask in the glory of their fourth victory in five contests, the Giants have dropped five of seven. Despite four- and seven-run outbursts in two of its first three games of this series, San Francisco has scored fewer than two runs in half of its 14 games and is batting a meager .170 with runners in scoring position.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco), FS San Diego
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Tyler Beede (0-0, 4.50 ERA) vs. Padres LH Joey Lucchesi (1-0, 1.72)
Beede struggled with his command in his major-league debut on Tuesday versus Arizona, settling for a no-decision after permitting two runs on three hits and five walks in four innings. The Giants' 2014 first-round draft pick was sharper in his first start of the year at Triple-A Sacramento on April 5 - giving up one run on one hit and three walks over five frames - but he is only 19-25 with a 3.70 ERA in 72 minor-league starts. Beede went 6-7 with a 4.79 ERA in 19 turns with Sacramento last season.
Lucchesi is coming off consecutive strong outings against Colorado and earned his first career victory Tuesday after yielding two unearned runs while striking out eight across six innings. The 24-year-old fanned seven in five scoreless frames just five days earlier against the Rockies, making up for an uneven major-league debut against Milwaukee on March 30 in which he was tagged for three runs over 4 2/3 innings. Lucchesi went 11-7 with a 2.20 ERA in 24 games (23 starts) in the minors last season.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Giants are scheduled to face a left-handed starter for the 10th time this season - most in the majors.
2. With multiple hits in four of his last six contests, San Diego OF Jose Pirela has lifted his average 71 points to .304.
3. Outside of his career-high six-hit performance on April 7, San Francisco OF Andrew McCutchen is 6-for-49 with 13 strikeouts in his other 13 games.