SAN DIEGO -- One turn through, the questions about the back end of the Padres’ starting rotation are as glaring as they’ve ever been.
Right-hander Germán Márquez was hit hard in his Padres debut, as San Diego dropped a second straight to the Giants, 9-3, on Tuesday night at Petco Park. Here’s some reaction, as the Padres fell to 1-4 on the season -- their worst five-game start since 2018.
Rotation concerns
In mid-February, with a thin rotation full of question marks, the Padres signed Walker Buehler and Márquez -- a pair of veteran starters who haven’t been the same since major elbow operations in recent years.
These were low-risk signings. And, really, if even one of those two were to contribute meaningful innings this summer, the Padres should count it as a victory. There’s still help on the way. Soon enough, Griffin Canning will return from his Achilles injury. Joe Musgrove will be back after that. There are other options.
But right now, those final two spots belong to Buehler and Márquez. And thus far, they’ve done little to answer any of those questions about the back end of that rotation. Márquez was hit hard on Tuesday, allowing four runs over three innings, including a pair of homers.
“You could tell right away he didn’t have his breaking ball, and that’s his bread and butter,” manager Craig Stammen said.
In total, the duo of Buehler and Márquez has combined to allow seven runs across seven innings in the first two games of this week’s series. The Padres have trailed for 16 of the 18 innings this series, which isn’t much of a recipe for success.
Early lineup shuffling
Through the first four games of the season, Ramón Laureano has been the best hitter, by far, on a struggling San Diego offense. On Tuesday, he was on the bench.
“Obviously when a guy is swinging it arguably the best in our lineup, it’s hard to take somebody out of the lineup,” Stammen said. “But a lot of it’s based on the pitcher we’re facing, just giving him a day off, and also getting other guys in, make them feel like they’re part of the team, too.”
As Stammen alluded to, Nick Castellanos and Miguel Andujar had solid numbers against Giants starter Logan Webb, and Laureano had struggled. But all three of those samples were extremely limited.
Both Castellanos and Andujar put together decent nights at the plate. Still, it was an interesting glimpse into the lineup strategy of a first-time manager, whose tendencies we’re still learning. Stammen, it seems, might be prone to playing the matchups over the hot hand.
Too much from Hart?
After falling behind big early, the Padres cut the deficit to one, then lifted Márquez after three innings. It’s precisely the type of game they think their bullpen can win them. They own one of the deepest bullpens in the league. If they’re trailing by a run when they get into that 'pen … that should be fine. They expect their 'pen to keep it close.
Didn’t happen Tuesday.
Kyle Hart pitched two crisp, clean innings in relief of Márquez. Stammen then asked him for a third, and that’s when things unraveled. Hart, a starter for most of last season, clearly has the ability to cover length. So the decision to send him back out wasn’t all that curious.
“The role and the innings and the ups and downs, those were all well within what we had discussed,” Hart said. “There was no surprise. I was really excited to go back out for the [sixth]. … I felt great. Just didn't make pitches.”
Hart allowed a booming Harrison Bader double and a walk before striking out Casey Schmitt, leaving Stammen with his biggest decision of the night.
The lineup turned back over, and Hart would be tasked with facing leadoff man Willy Adames for a second time. Right-hander Bradgley Rodriguez was available for the righty-hitting Adames. But with the lefty-hitting Rafael Devers on deck, Stammen stuck with the lefty Hart.
“I wanted him to face Devers, and Kyle had been pitching really well up until that point,” Stammen said. “I just felt like he was the guy at that moment. Hindsight is 20-20.”
Adames laced an RBI single up the middle. Rodriguez was called upon a couple of batters later, but he allowed a two-run Heliot Ramos single. By the end of the inning, the Giants led by five runs, and the Padres wouldn’t seriously threaten after that.