Giants get first homer of season, edge Padres for first win

Field Level Media|published: Tue 31st March, 24:22 2026

Mar 30, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Francisco Giants center fielder Harrison Bader (9) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the third inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Harrison Bader homered and Landen Roupp pitched six scoreless innings Monday night as the visiting San Francisco Giants gave manager Tony Vitello his first major league win, a 3-2 decision over the San Diego Padres.

Roupp (1-0) allowed only two hits and two walks while striking out seven, in his first start since his 2025 season ended in August at San Diego when he was struck by a line drive and suffered a knee injury. Three relievers got the last nine outs, with Ryan Walker pitching the ninth for the save.

Walker didn't make it easy, walking Jake Cronenworth to start the inning and then surrendering a two-run homer to Jackson Merrill, his first. However, Walker was able to induce a game-ending groundout from Xander Bogaerts.

Walker Buehler (0-1) absorbed the loss in his first start for San Diego, permitting five hits and three runs over four innings. He walked two and fanned three.

The Padres have scored just nine runs in their first four games, three of them losses.

San Francisco was swept in three games by the visiting New York Yankees to open the season. The Giants had managed just one in their first 29 innings until Bader led off the top of the third. He pounced on a knuckle-curve over the plate's heart, drilling it an estimated 408 feet into the seats in left-center field for the team's first homer of the year.

The Giants added their final two runs in the fourth with their first three-hit inning of the season. Matt Chapman singled with one out and Jung Hoo Lee coaxed a walk. After Bader popped up, Patrick Bailey poked an RBI single to left to score Chapman, and Casey Schmitt grounded a single past shortstop Bogaerts to plate Lee.

San Diego managed to put just two men in scoring position prior to the ninth. Fernando Tatis Jr. walked to lead off the fourth and got to third on a pair of infield outs before Bogaerts grounded out to strand him. Ramon Laureano drew a one-out walk in the fifth and got to second with two outs on a wild pitch but was left there when Luis Campusano grounded out.

--Field Level Media