After losing in extra innings to San Diego on Friday night, the Giants dropped the second game of the series 5-1 on Saturday. The bats were not able to produce as much as they did in Arizona, and Pat Misch is still looking for that first Major League win.
Misch has had twenty-six appearances (ten of them as a starter) in the Major League, and is still winless. He was roughed up in the first inning as the Padres scored four quick runs off him. However, he did settle down and was pulled in the seventh inning after allowing the fifth Padres run. Vinnie Chulk pitched a perfect inning and two-thirds, and Alex Hinshaw pitched a perfect ninth inning with a strikeout, hoping the Giants would be able to score some runs in the bottom half of the final frame.
Catcher Bengie Molina had the day off, so the Giants would have to get their run production from another source, but they did not. San Diego’s rookie starter Josh Banks shut down the Giants, pitching a complete game and came just short of a shutout. The only run scored came in the ninth inning, Jose Castillo singled to get on base and then scored when Aaron Rowand singled to centerfield. Nobody really stood out, although shortstop Emmanuel Burriss did go two-for-three with singles and also stole a base.
The Giants will wrap up the series this afternoon at 1:05 p.m., and hope Tim Lincecum can salvage a win out of it. Randy Wolf will be on the mound for San Francisco. If there is anyone the Giants can count on to deliver for them, it is Lincecum. With a win today the Giants will be able to look forward to hosting a slumping Mets team on Monday.
