The San Diego Padres suffered a 3-2 defeat against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night, extending their difficulties against opposing starting pitchers.

Offensive Struggles Against McDonald

Despite a solo home run from rookie Jackson Merrill in the first inning and another from Ramón Laureano in the ninth, the Padres’ offense was largely contained by Giants starter Trevor McDonald. McDonald pitched seven strong innings, allowing only three hits.

Padres' Unusual Split in Performance

The Padres are experiencing an unusual disparity in their offensive performance, hitting .211 with a .608 OPS against starters, compared to .255 and .771 against relievers. Xander Bogaerts noted this anomaly, stating, “Relievers are supposed to be the tough ones. You’re not supposed to be able to scrap a lot together.”

Resilience and Concerns

San Diego has secured 20 wins this season, with half coming in late innings. While this late-game resilience has kept them competitive—currently holding the National League’s fifth-best record—the team acknowledges it’s not a sustainable strategy.

Veteran Perspective

Veteran reliever Craig Stammen expressed the team’s frustration, saying, “We’re definitely racking our brains and trying to figure out why that is…We just haven’t hit our stride early in games yet.” He also highlighted the challenge of facing elite sinkerball pitchers.

Looking Ahead

The Padres have faced a high number of pitchers utilizing sinker-slider combinations this season. Stammen emphasized the need to adapt, stating, “We’ve got to find a way to handle these guys that come in with a sinker-slider combo.”

Merrill's Optimism

Jackson Merrill remains optimistic, believing the team’s current struggles will ultimately benefit them. “I think it all helps at the end of the day,” he said. “It’s still early in the year, so there is still time.”

The Padres will face Logan Webb, another top sinkerball pitcher, on Tuesday night. Webb previously limited the Padres to three runs in six innings earlier this season.