SF Giants: Three takeaways from the Padres series

SF Giants: Three Takeaways From the Padres Series

2. The rotation held up their end of the bargain

The Giants faced off against a tough San Diego Padres lineup. It is no secret that the Padres are expected to be a playoff contender this year. Despite this, the starting rotation did well to keep the Padres offense in check.

Anthony DeSclafani, Aaron Sanchez, and Kevin Gausman started the three games in this series. In the case of Desclafani and Sanchez, they were making their Giants debut on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. There is no doubt that they made a good first impression as well as some friends and fans along the well.

On the other hand, Gausman made his second start of the year and further cemented his position as the anchor of this rotation. Regardless of who was on the mound, the Giants got some quality innings from their starters:

• DeSclafani: 5 innings, 4 hits, 1 earned run, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts, 7 groundouts, and 3 flyouts
• Sanchez: 5 innings, 6 hits, 1 earned run, no walks, 4 strikeouts, 5 groundouts, and 1 flyout
• Gausman: 7 innings, 4 hits, 1 earned run, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts, 7 groundouts, and 8 flyouts

The case could be made that DeSclafani has the potential to be the most interesting rotation experiment in 2021 similar to what the Giants did with Gausman last year. The right-handed hurler has always flashed an intriguing arsenal that includes a mid-90’s fastball, an above-average slider, curveball, and changeup.

DeSclafani is a flyball pitcher and that type of skill set is tough to make work in the hitter-friendly confines of the Great American Ballpark, which has been his home park for much of his career. Perhaps, a change of scenery is all that he needs.

Sanchez looked strong and efficient in his first start since 2019, needing only 74 pitches to make it through five innings. Similarly, Gausman attacked the zone early and often while giving the Giants much-needed length.