San Diego’s offense no-shows in first NL West matchup of the year

It was a rough night from the San Diego Padres against the San Fransico Giants, losing 3-2. The Giants’ pitching showed up and gave their team its first win of the 2026 season. The Padres’ offense on the night strung up three hits, 1-4 with runners in scoring position, and struck out eleven times.

Buehler’s first start as a San Diego Padre

Tonight was Walker Buehler‘s first start as a Padre after being with that other team up north for so long. He started out mowing through the Giants’ batters quickly, only throwing ten pitches in each of the first two innings. But the third and fourth weren’t as kind.

In the third inning, Harrison Bader led off, down 1-2, he got a hold of a hung knuckle curve and deposited it off the left field scoreboard on the second deck. Then, in the fourth with one out, Matt Chapman got a single to center, and Jung Hoo-Lee walked. Next up was Harrison Bader, who was hoping to repeat his success from the first time around, but he popped up the first pitch, which was way outside for the second out. But back-to-back singles from the eight/nine hitters, Patrick Bailey, and Casey Schmitt brought two more across, pushing the lead 3-0. Buehler retired Willy Adames for the final out of the fourth, and that would wrap up his night.

Harrison Bader goes yard for the first time in a @SFGiants uniform! pic.twitter.com/OoWzOVM50L

— MLB (@MLB) March 31, 2026

Buehler’s final stats were four innings pitched, giving up five hits, three runs (all earned), two walks, and three strikeouts. Looking on the bright side, Buehler did his job; he kept the game in hand. Those first two innings were a bright spot, and if that’s a sign of what’s to come as the season goes along, Walker’s got a chance to be a solid backend rotation option.

Landon Roupp dominates the Padres’ offense

In what has been more of the same to start this season, the Padres’ offense has not gotten good results from its offense against starting pitching. Landon Roupp on the mound for the San Fransico Giants, fourth man in their rotation, and the Padres made him look like an ace.

In the first two innings, Roupp had four strikeouts, retiring Cronenworth, Machado, Sheets, and Lauerano in five pitches or less. The only attempt at getting a run from the offense came in the bottom of the fourth. Fernando Tatis got a lead-off walk. Manny Machado up next, he had a swinging bunt hit slowly back to the pitcher and was retired for the first out, but enough to get Tatis to second. Following him is Jackson Merrill. He had a well-hit grounder to first, but it was gloved by first baseman Casey Schmitt, and he recorded the second out. Fernando advanced to third. The Padres needed Xander Bogaerts to plate Tatis, but he was unsuccessful as well, grounding out to short.

Landon Roupp made the Padres look silly in every at-bat of his six-inning outing. Finishing with giving up two hits, zero runs, two walks, and seven strikeouts.

Giants bullpen keeps the mower mowing

If you thought you would be able to get after the Giants’ bullpen when Roupp left, you were wrong. The Padres’ offense had no batters reach base in the seventh or eighth innings. Matt Gage got three groundouts from Merrill, Bogaerts, and Andujar in the bottom of the seventh.

Following was Keaton Winn in the bottom of the eighth, who struck out the side. Those batters being Lauerano in four, Castellanos in three, and pinch-hitter Bryce Johnson in six pitches

Closing it out was Ryan Walker, who made the game interesting. Leadoff walk from Cronenworth set up Tatis and Machado to make some noise. But to no avail, Fernando struck out, and Machado hit a soft grounder to the first baseman. Two outs, Jackson Merrill, to keep the game alive with Jake at second. With one swing of the bat, he woke up a sleeping Petco crowd with a high drive deep to right for his first homerun of the season, giving the Padres a chance to shock the Giants in the ninth. With the score 3-2, Xander Bogaerts tried to maintain the rally, but a well-located pitch high and in from Walker got Xander to ground out to short to close the game.

Jackson Merrill makes things very interesting in the bottom of the 9th ? pic.twitter.com/aKpNb4eNX1

— MLB (@MLB) March 31, 2026

Two positives from the game: Padres defense is still elite, and so is the bullpen

The Padres’ defense has been a highlight machine to start the season, and they kept that going today. In the top of the second inning, Jake Cronenworth showed Matt Chapman that the area others call second, but Padres fans call it the Crone zone. A soft hit to the gap between first and second got all the way to the shallow parts of the outfield grass, but Cronenworth stabbed it and made a throw while sliding, getting Chapman out at first.

You can hit it anywhere, but you can’t hit it to the Crone Zone. pic.twitter.com/bP7X1wV7AE

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) March 31, 2026

Then, in the top of the sixth, Matt Chapman kept hitting it to the wrong people. This time, he was Machado’d. A softly punched ball just off the left of the mound, Manny hustled from his spot at third, fielded it, and riffled a strike to first baseman Gavin Sheets just in time for the out.

The bullpen was outstanding in keeping the deficit to three. Wandy Peralta threw a clean fifth inning. David Morgan was outstanding, going two innings, giving up one hit, one walk, and two strikeouts. And Ron Marinaccio had a calm eighth and ninth inning, getting two strikeouts after a rough first outing to start the year.

Up Next for the San Diego Padres

The Padres (1-3) continue their series with the Giants (1-3), facing off again tomorrow, March 31, at 6:40 PM PT at Petco Park. On the rubber tomorrow for the Padres is German Marquez, who pitched for the Rockies the last couple of years. For the Giants, its there ace Logan Webb who had a shaky first start vs the Yankees on opening night.

Wyatt Dearen

Hi Padres fans, I’m Wyatt Dearen. I am from Farmington, New Mexico, which is home to one of the most prestigious high school baseball tournaments in America, the Connie Mack World Series. When it comes around, I do color and statistics for the radio. I am currently pursuing a degree in Sports Administration at the University of Houston #GoCoogs. I have been a sports fan my whole life, following all the major sports leagues since I could walk, and it has been my dream my whole life to work in sports. Thankful to write about the team and for the East VillageTimes.