Landon Roupp didn't have time to react. Ramón Laureano rocketed a ball right back to the Giants pitcher at 96 mph. It beaned him high on the right leg, and as he crumpled to the ground his knee jolted in a way that could make you uncomfortable.
And just like that, in the flash of a few milliseconds, the Giants' most promising young pitcher was being whisked off the field in a cart. (The team says it's a knee sprain, with an MRI to come.)
If you needed just one more inning to know that the 2025 Giants were not the 2010 Giants, 2014 Giants, or any winning Giants team, you got it in the third inning Wednesday night.
The parade of bad baseball was built around Roupp's injury. First came Manny Machado's home run. Then a Joey Lucchesi pitch that the Hall of Fame would like to feature in an upcoming exhibit on hanging curveballs. It landed in the right field seats for a three-run homer, followed a bobbled grounder to second, and finally, a balk.
In that inning alone the Padres had nearly as many baserunners as the Giants had all game. And if you’re starting to think it might not be the Giants’ year, I’d ask you what took so long.
Up next: Justin Verlander (1-9, 4.23 ERA) takes the mound for the series finale in San Diego, 1:10 pm first pitch. The Padres are only a game behind the Dodgers in the NL West. Meanwhile the Giants’ playoff odds sit at 1.1%.
Giants need to prioritize health! Probably will get banned for saying this, but Chapman getting 2 cortisone shots and being possibly rushed back for Brewers series is absurd. Shut him down. Do not risk an injury that could affect him next year. Adames has some sort of brace around his stomach in dugout btwn innings sounds like his injury could get worse. Understand Chapman, Adames wanting to play in Milwaukee but these are foundational players with long term contracts. Prioritize their health (injuries worsen) beyond this season. Giants lost the postseason in June and July when they were mostly healthy, including getting swept by Marlins and Pirates.