Padres' rival finally gets revenge on pitcher who dominated them for years

For years, Walker Buehler had the San Francisco Giants' number. He was one of the top pitchers in the NL West from the mid-to-late 2010s, which included an incredible run against the Giants. From 2017-21 Buehler owned a 2.42 ERA with a 7-1 record in 13 appearances against San Francisco. This included 70/21 K/BB, too.

Considering this historic dominance, the San Diego Padres were more than happy to acquire the former Los Angeles Dodger. There was an idea that he would help the Friars' back end of the rotation, particularly against NL West teams.

On Monday night in his San Diego debut, Buehler faced the Giants at Petco Park. Fans were excited — and hopeful — that he would provide a lift to the bottom of the rotation. But, that didn't happen. The Giants were able to send Buehler home after just four innings of work, ending what locals hoped would be a memorable debut.

How Walker Buehler's expectations fell short in Padres' debut vs. NL West rival

It took Buehler 72 pitches to get through four innings of work, which is when he was pulled for left-hander Wandy Peralta. He allowed three runs on five hits and two walks, striking out three batters. Buehler even had a solid first impression. He managed to get through the first two frames unscathed before Harrison Bader led off the third inning with a home run on a hanging breaking ball.

The Giants settled in during their second time through the order against Buehler. They had him laboring through the fourth inning, which included seven and six-pitch at-bats from Matt Chapman and Jung Hoo Lee, who each reached base after the long battles.

Though it wasn't a superstar outing from Buehler, he wasn't getting any support from his teammates, either. Xander Bogaerts had the lone hit for the Padres with Buehler still in the game, which was a one-out single in the second inning. Gavin Sheets and Ramón Laureano then struck out looking to strand Bogaerts.

This wasn't exactly a map to success for San Diego, even if Buehler was dealing. Hopefully his next start will welcome more efficient innings.