Logan Webb got the start on Opening Day for the third season, he threw the ball very well for his team, recording a quality start and striking out five in the process. Webb really had his slider and cutter working, retiring the first nine batters he faced, striking out four of them. Yu Darvish matched Webb almost pitch for pitch early on. The Giants struck first, jumping out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning on an RBI double by Nick Ahmed.
Webb was knocked around a bit in the fifth inning, allowing a few soft singles which led to two earned runs. the inning could have gone worse, but Webb got some help from his defense, as Lamonte Wade Jr. and Thairo Estrada each made fine plays to keep the game at a one-run deficit. The Giants were able to chase starter Yu Darvish in the top of the sixth inning, where reliever Tom Cosgrove shut the door on what could have been a scoring opportunity.
In the top of the seventh inning, the Giants second baseman Thairo Estrada led off with a single, which was followed up by a hard single up the middle by Michael Conforto, and a single through the hole on the left side by shortstop Nick Ahmed that plated Estrada. After catcher Patrick Bailey moved the runners over on a sacrifice, rookie Jung Hoo Lee stepped up and lifted a fly ball to center field, deep enough to allow Conforto to score. Still, Ahmed was thrown out trying to advance from second to third on the play, ending the inning.
The bottom of the seventh inning is where things fell apart for the Giants pitching staff, allowing runs on an errant throw by Bailey trying to cut down a runner stealing second base, then RBI hits by Xander Bogaerts and Jake Cronenworth.
Offensively, offseason acquisitions Matt Chapman and Jung Hoo Lee each struck out in their first at-bats, but followed up with hits later on in the game with Lee’s being his first career MLB hit. Lee, Michael Conforto, and Nick Ahmed were responsible for knocking in the team’s runs, with Conforto leading the team with three hits on the day.
On a separate note, the Padres held a “Celebration of Life” to remember the team’s late owner Peter Seidler, who passed away during the offseason. The Padres will wear a gold heart with Seidler’s initials on the uniforms throughout the duration of the 2024 season.
