SF Giants quiet offense overshadows Alex Cobb in 3-1 loss to Royals

The SF Giants offense did not bring the thump in the team's home opener. Falling to the Kansas City Royals 3-1.

The SF Giants dropped their home opener at Oracle Park on Friday, losing 3-1 to a Kansas City Royals team coming off a 65-97 season. As the Giants try to prove they are more than pretenders in the National League, their offense is still looking to find a way to generate runs when they aren't hitting massive home runs.

SF Giants starter Alex Cobb reacts after allowing a solo homer to Royals DH Vinnie Pasquantino. (2023) / D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

The Royals lineup consistently squared up Giants starter Alex Cobb throughout his outing, but the veteran righty kept enough of the hard contact on the ground and in the park to be effective. Despite surrendering nine balls in play with an exit velocity north of 100 mph, a solo home run by Royals designated hitter Vinnie Pasquantino was Kansas City's lone extra-base hit against Cobb. He needed just 96 pitches to finish seven innings, allowing two runs on seven hits with six strikeouts.

Given the Giants defensive struggles throughout 2022, fans have been focused on San Francisco's defense early in the season. While first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. let a ground from Michael Massey go threw his legs in the top of the first inning, the Giants played an otherwise clean game. Mike Yastrzemski did a particularly impressive job in center field tracking down several line drives toward the left-center and right-center alleys. He also threw out MJ Melendez on an ill-advised sacrifice fly attempt.

Royals infielders Hunter Dozier and Nicky Lopez manufactured a run with some solid hitting against Cobb in the second. After a one-out single by Kyle Isbel, Dozier and Lopez poked grounders through the right side of the infield, taking advantage of second baseman Thairo Estrada's positioning. Dozier singled on a hit-and-run, which had forced Estrada to cover second base, while Lopez lined a grounder past a diving Estrada, who was playing in with a runner on third base.

Royals starting pitcher Brad Keller's grounder-focused arsenal kept the Giants lineup quiet over his 5.2 innings of work. Keller allowed one run, on a two-out single from starting left fielder Blake Sabol, on three hits and three walks with three strikeouts.

Left-handed reliever Ryan Yarborough replaced Keller out of the Royals bullpen and allowed just one walk over 1.1 innings pitched. Aroldis Chapman entered in the top of the eighth and worked around a one-out single by J.D. Davis. Finally, in the ninth, Royals manager Matt Quatraro called on closer Scott Barlow to close things out.

Barlow gave up a lead-off triple to designated hitter Joc Pederson, who lined a ball to right field that Melendez misplayed off the wall. However, Barlow retired the next two hitters, and finished the game without allowing Pederson to score.

"I think up and down our lineup, there ain't a single guy who can't go deep," Giants manager Gabe Kapler told reporters during his pregame availability. But while the Giants depth has already delivered some explosive performances at the plate, their boom-and-bust tendencies have been extreme. If they are unable to find more consistency, they seem destined to be an explosive, inconsistent .500 team.

Giants offseason free-agent signing Taylor Rogers allowed a solo home run for the second time in as many appearances this season. Royals catcher Salvador Pérez golfed a 90.2 mph cutter below the strike zone 416' over the left-center field wall. Three of the Royals four balls in play against Rogers recorded an expected batting average of .530 or better. Giants closer Camilo Doval, on the other hand, appeared to put his pitch-clock struggles behind him on Friday, breezing through a 1-2-3 ninth. 

Giants catcher Roberto Pérez left the game in the eighth inning with an apparent injury. If Pérez is set to miss any time, Sabol would be the only catcher on the active roster. With Joey Bart on the injured list, the Giants do not have any catchers on the 40-man roster in the minor leagues to call upon. While there is obvious reason for speculation about adding recent minor-league signing Gary Sánchez to the roster, it would be expediting a process of ramping the veteran up for the season before it has begun.

The SF Giants will face off against the Royals again tomorrow afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 1:35 PM Pacific. The Giants will give Sean Manaea his first start of the season, he will be facing off against righty Brady Singer.