Padres vs. Giants Game Recap 3/8/12

It was another loss, and if the Padres keep doing this, fans may start to get a little worried.  But the truth is, the wins and losses don’t matter during spring.  The point of these games is practice, try-outs, and building chemistry.  Yesterday against the Giants, Kyle Blanks showed off that power that keeps him around.  He blasted a solo home run into the camera well on the center field batter’s eye.  James Darnell followed with a solo shot of his own.  But that was all the team could muster as they fell to the Giants 5-2.

Edinson Volquez admitted he was nervous starting his first gas with the new club, and some of those nerves showed.  He hit one batter, gave up two hits, one walk, and one run.  But Volquez was pounding the strike zone.  He threw 23 of his first 31 pitches for strikes and was clearly more aggressive than most have come to expect from him.

The Giants Madison Bumgarner went three innings – the first Giants’ pitcher to do so this spring – and gave up just two hits while striking out five.  He was in regular season form.  The Giants offense scored in the second, the third, the seventh, and the eighth.

Anthony Bass got his second look at live batters this spring as he went two innings in relief of Volquez.  Bass struck out two, gave up two hits, and did not allow a run.  Brad Boxberger finished the game with one inning of perfect ball.  He struck out two.

The Padres travel to Tempe today to take on the Angels at 12:05 PT.  Clayton Richard gets his first start of the spring and his first since being sidelined with surgery last season.  The game will be broadcast on MLB.tv.