The Giants hopes for a playoff spot took a large hit as the Padres built up a big lead against SP Johnny Cueto and cruised to a lopsided win. Key Lines:
Alex Dickerson LF- 3 for 4, 2B, HR(9). BA= .290. The new dad came back from paternity leave raking at the top of the lineup. The top three batters had a combined 6 hits and an additional walk, but the rest of the lineup managed just 3 walks in 25 PA's.
Johnny Cueto RHP- 4.1 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 3 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 5.33. In a game earlier in the season, Cueto and Joey Bart were clearly not on the same page and Chadwick Tromp became Cueto's personal catcher. When Cueto's start got pushed back and Tromp caught Tyler Anderson on Sunday, the beat writers said the plan was for Tromp to also catch Cueto in this game. Instead it was Bart. Whether it was discomfort with his catcher or just not having his best stuff, Cueto got hit early and never settled down. On the final pitch, he and Bart ran through the signs several times and Cueto was obviously struggling to keep his composure on the mound. On the other hand, when Cueto has been at this best this season, his FB has hit 93 MPH. The fastest pitch I saw on the TV gun was 90 MPH. Not sure what the issues are between Cueto and Bart but I would expect a veteran ace to stay in control and overcome rookie mistakes from his batterymate.
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The loss dropped the Giants record to 26-27 and into a tie for 9'th place in the NL with the top 8 teams making the playoffs.
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Drew Smyly LHP tries to get the Giants back to .500 tonight facing Kyle Freeland LHP.
According to Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com "Tromp appeared to jam his shoulder sliding back into first base during Sunday's matchup, though the team has yet to report an injury for the backstop."
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