MLB LOOK AHEAD

Giants, Padres matchup pits young, veteran lefties

Field Level Media

March 27, 2019 at 12:36 am.

Mar 17, 2019; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner (40) throws against the Kansas City Royals in the first inning during a spring training game at Scottsdale Stadium. Photo Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

Mar 17, 2019; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner (40) throws against the Kansas City Royals in the first inning during a spring training game at Scottsdale Stadium. Photo Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

Madison Bumgarner will be San Francisco’s Opening Day starter in San Diego on Thursday afternoon because the Giants’ ace deserves the honor.

Fellow left-hander Eric Lauer will start for the Padres because, well, it’s his day in the rotation.

“No one really separated himself when it came to the honor of being the Opening Day starter,” Padres manager Andy Green said Sunday while announcing that Lauer will head his rotation.

While Bumgarner will be making the fifth Opening Day start of his career, it will be the first time that Lauer is even on an Opening Day roster. And, at the age of 23 years and 298 days, Lauer is the second-youngest Opening Day starter in Padres history by three days. Clay Kirby was 23 years and 295 days old when he was San Diego’s Opening Day starter in 1972.

Given the pitchers’ history, this matchup appears to lean in favor of the 29-year-old Bumgarner, who has 110 career wins to Lauer’s 23 career starts.

But Bumgarner struggled this spring, posting an 8.27 ERA over 20 2/3 innings. In his last spring appearance, Bumgarner gave up seven runs on 10 hits in two innings. He allowed 35 hits in the Cactus League.

“I just want to make sure that by the end of camp everything is sharp and where it needs to be,” Bumgarner said recently. “Regardless of the results, if by the end of camp I feel that way, perfect.”

It might not be exactly perfect at the moment, but the 6-foot-4 lefty has the track record of a champion, although his past two seasons have been interrupted by unusual injuries.

Bumgarner was 6-7 with a 3.26 ERA and a 1.242 WHIP in 21 starts last season, missing the first two months with a fractured left pinkie after getting struck by a comebacker in spring training.

However, he’s always been tough on the Padres. Bumgarner has an 11-9 record and a 3.32 ERA, 1.052 WHIP and a .217 opponents’ batting average in 32 career appearances (31 starts) against the Padres. He has 204 strikeouts in 203 1/3 innings vs. San Diego.

However, these are not the Padres that Bumgarner has faced in the past. These are the Padres of free agent signee third baseman Manny Machado.

The lineup appears to be San Diego’s deepest in years. The Padres have five starting-capable outfielders in Wil Myers, Hunter Renfroe, Franmil Reyes, Manuel Margot and Franchy Cordero plus Machado and Eric Hosmer at the corners and Gold Glove free agent acquisition Ian Kinsler at second.

Shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr., a highly touted 20-year-old prospect, made the team. He likely will start at shortstop over another rookie, 21-year-old Luis Urias.

While the Padres were spending $300 million to sign Machado this offseason, the Giants were falling short on landing free agent outfielder Bryce Harper.

Lauer was 6-7 with a 4.34 ERA, a 1.545 WHIP and a .285 opponents’ batting average in his 23 starts for the Padres last season. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Lauer was one of three first-round picks the Padres had in the 2016 draft. He was the 25th overall pick out of Kent State.

In three starts against the Giants as a rookie last year, Lauer had no decisions and a 3.94 ERA.

Lauer pitched only 10 innings in the Cactus League this spring. He allowed no runs on two hits and three walks with 12 strikeouts. He spent much of the spring starting in backfield games due to the number of starting pitchers in the San Diego camp.

The rotation is the Padres’ biggest question mark going into the season.

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