Giants play baseball game, but do not win baseball game

There were two interesting things that happened in the San Francisco Giants 3-1 loss to the San Diego Padres. Two interesting things if you’re invested in the Giants, that is. If you’re a Padres fan, then go home, you’re either drunk or lost, and yes, more than two interesting things happened for you. Good for you. Whoop-de-freaking-doo.

The first interesting thing that happened is that Brandon Crawford hit a home run. It was a solo home run, naturally, as 90% of the Giants homers this year have been (this is not hyperbole — the Giants have hit 10 home runs, which have scored 11 runs).

It was majestic.

The second interesting thing is that Aaron Sanchez was really good. The Giants are banking on Sanchez being a quality reclamation project, and the first bit of data to enter the spreadsheet is solid.

Sanchez gave up 6 hits in 5 innings, but half of those hits were of the infield variety. He didn’t walk a single batter. He struck out 4, and pounded the strike zone, with 51 of his 74 pitches going for strikes. He gave up just a lone run.

It was far from dominant, but against a very potent Padres offense (even sans Fernando Tatís Jr.), it was highly encouraging. I’m already looking forward to his next start. That was fun.

And those are the interesting things that happened. Here are some of the uninteresting things that happened:

• Matt Wisler — who has had a bit of a rocky start to his Giants tenure — gave up the go-ahead runs on a two-run dinger by Padres catcher Victor Caratini. The amount of homers that Caratini hit on Tuesday night against Wisler is the same number as the amount of homers that Caratini hit in 2020.
• The Giants had just 3 hits, with singles by Buster Posey and Austin Slater joining Crawford’s dinger.
• The Giants drew but a single walk, courtesy of Mike Yastrzemski.
• The Giants struck out 11 times, with Brandon Belt earning a hat trick, and Posey and Yastrzemski getting punched out twice.

And that’s ... kind of it? Some baseball games are uneventful. This one was highly so. The Giants pitched well, played offense poorly, and lost a quick, straightforward game.

The still have a chance to win a series, on the road, against a very good team. A win tomorrow and they split the opening road trip. As frustrating as the losses have been, that would be a victory.