Things couldn’t have gone worse for Giants starter Trevor McDonald against the hottest team in June in Saturday’s 6-2 loss to the Miami Marlins.
McDonald ran into immediate trouble in the bottom of the first inning. The rookie right-hander struggled with his command, issuing multiple walks that allowed Miami to quickly load the bases. However, the free passes only resulted in the Marlins taking an early one-run lead.
McDonald never fully settled in, and the Marlins continued to take advantage throughout his outing. He allowed three hits, three runs (three earned), three walks, three HBP and one strikeout through three innings.
Twelve Miami batters reached base without a hit, via walk, hit by pitch or error, in the first six innings. It was the first time since the Giants moved to San Francisco that they had four errors and hit four batters in a single game.
Outside of Casey Schmitt’s 16th home run of the season, San Francisco’s pitching and poor defense were too much for the offense to overcome.
And Miami’s pitching staff limited San Francisco’s scoring opportunities in key moments, preserving the Marlins’ advantage as the game moved into the later innings.
The loss leaves the Giants searching for answers after another difficult outing from a young rotation arm. San Francisco will look for a cleaner start on the mound and more timely hitting as it attempts to avoid a sweep in Miami on Sunday.
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