Griffin Canning Struggles as Padres Fall to Orioles in Series Opener

Griffin Canning’s outing on the mound for the San Diego Padres was far from what the team needed as they kicked off their nine-game road trip. Despite the Padres providing him with an early one-run lead, Canning struggled significantly, ultimately leading to a 7-3 loss against the Baltimore Orioles in the first game of their three-game series.

In a laborious performance, Canning managed to get through just five innings, surrendering seven runs on six hits while issuing five walks and striking out six. The right-hander’s difficulties were underscored by the fact that he allowed two home runs, contributing to three of the runs scored by the Orioles. Canning’s command was erratic, as he walked the leadoff batter in three of his five innings and only faced the minimum number of batters in two frames.

Despite Canning’s struggles, Padres manager Craig Stammen effectively managed the bullpen, relying on Wandy Peralta and David Morgan to cover the final three innings. Peralta delivered a solid 1.2 innings of work, allowing just one hit while striking out three and walking two. Morgan followed with 1.1 scoreless innings, also yielding one hit and striking out two.

Offensively, the Padres managed to score in both the first and second innings, with most of the lineup contributing. However, Jackson Merrill, Ty France, Will Wagner, and Freddy Fermin were the only starters without hits. France did manage to cross the plate for a run, while Wagner drew two walks. The standout performance at the plate came from Manny Machado, who went 2-for-4 with a run scored, showcasing his ability to find gaps in the outfield with two doubles. His performance hints at a potential uptick in form, whether from improved pitch recognition or a renewed focus on analytics. Gavin Sheets also shone, finishing his day 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

The Padres will look to bounce back and even the series against the Orioles today at 1:05 p.m.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.