Margevicius impresses in first MLB start, but Padres fall 3-2 to Giants
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Reyes Moronta struck out five in two innings of lights-out relief work, including Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr., and the San Francisco Giants beat the San Diego Padres 3-2 Saturday night for their first victory this season.
The Giants were at risk of going 0-3 for the first time since 2012, when they won their second of three World Series in five seasons under manager Bruce Bochy, who is retiring after this season.
The Padres were denied their first 3-0 start since 1984, the season they went to their first World Series, with Bochy as a backup catcher.
Nick Margevicius (0-1) pitched five-plus innings of one-run ball in his major league debut for San Diego but was the hard-luck loser. He was making the jump from Class A.
San Francisco took a 3-0 lead in the sixth, highlighted by Yangervis Solarte‘s double. Giants starter Dereck Rodriguez (1-0) faltered in the bottom of the inning, allowing hits to the first two batters before Travis Bergen came on and allowed Eric Hosmer‘s two-run double.
Bochy then summoned Moronta, who struck out Machado, Wil Myers and Hunter Renfroe. Moronta, a 5-foot-8, 257-pound righty, struck out two more in the seventh, including prized rookie Tatis, to strand Greg Garcia after he hit a pinch-hit double in his Padres debut.
Margevicius held the Giants scoreless on two hits until Steven Dugger singled leading off the sixth. He made way for Robert Stock, who allowed a double down the right-field line by Solarte, who played with the Padres from 2014 until being traded to Toronto before last season. He signed with San Francisco in February.
Rodriguez allowed two runs and four hits in five-plus innings, struck out two and walked none. Will Smith pitched a perfect ninth for his first save.
Evan Longorgia singled in Solarte and the Giants added on with two outs when Joe Panik hit a bases-loaded, RBI single. Buster Posey was thrown out trying to score from second to end the inning.
Margevicius allowed one run and three hits in five-plus innings, struck out five and walked none.
Margevicius, 22, was promoted earlier in the day and became the second player from the 2017 amateur draft to make is big league debut. He was the third straight young lefty to start for the Padres, following Eric Lauer (23) and Joey Luccheshi (25), both of whom made their big league debuts last year.
Margevicius went 10-8 with a 3.60 ERA between Low-A Fort Wayne and High-A Lake Elsinore last year before making one postseason start with Double-A San Antonio.
UP NEXT
Giants: RHP Jeff Samardzija is scheduled to start the series finale Sunday. He’s trying to bounce back from an injury-marred season in which he went 1-5 with a 6.25 ERA in just 10 starts.
Padres: RHP Chris Paddack, 23, is scheduled to make his big league debut. He went 7-3 with a 2.10 ERA between Class A Lake Elsinore and Double-A San Antonio as he bounced back from Tommy John surgery.
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