What we learned as Rodón returns to form in loss to Padres

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SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Diego Padres might have the most star-studded rotation in baseball, which often leaves right-hander Joe Musgrove in the shadows. The Giants got a look at how good he is on Saturday, though. 

Musgrove threw seven shutout innings and the Padres held on for a 2-1 win, with Musgrove improving to 5-0 on the year. The Giants have dropped three straight and they'll send Alex Wood, their stopper, to the mound on Sunday in hopes of avoiding a sweep. 

The Padres took the lead on Manny Machado's solo shot in the third inning and tacked on in the sixth. Luke Voit hit a leadoff double and Austin Nola followed with a single, but Voit got a poor read and was held at third. When Ha-Seong Kim popped up with the bottom of the order coming up, it looked like the indecision might be costly, but Trent Grisham put a perfect bunt down past Rodón and Voit raced home. 

The Giants cut the lead in half in the eighth when Robert Suarez missed badly with a cutter. The call was for one down at the bottom of the zone, but Suarez elevated it into Wilmer Flores' happy zone and he launched a solo shot to left, his fourth of the year.

Looking Like His Usual Self

Carlos Rodón's previous start last Sunday in St. Louis was one of the worst of his career, but he was his usual self against the Padres, for the most part. Rodón allowed two runs and five hits in six innings, striking out six. He has now allowed two or fewer runs in seven of his eight starts in orange and black.

Rodón had a good slider and even a tick more velocity than he sometimes has. A 99.4 mph fastball to Wil Myers in the fifth was his hardest pitch of the season and got one of his 13 swinging strikes. 

Tip Your Cap

If the season ended today, Machado would likely be the National League MVP. He entered the day leading the league in average and on-base percentage, and he was fourth in slugging percentage. The Giants have seen the whole package in these two games, including Machado's usual strong defense. 

The Padres third baseman had three hits on Friday night, and he opened the scoring on Saturday by taking a 99 mph fastball to dead center for his eighth homer of the season. The no-doubter went 425 feet and was the first homer allowed by Rodón at Oracle Park this year. 

Still Streaking

Lefty Jarlin Garcia took over for Rodón and worked around a two-out single in the seventh. The appearance was Garcia's 14th, and he has yet to allow a run this season.

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With 14 1/3 scoreless innings, Garcia is one of just five MLB relievers who have thrown at least a dozen innings without giving up a run. The others: Milwaukee Brewers' Josh Hader, St. Louis Cardinals' Ryan Helsley, Tampa Bay Rays' J.P. Feyereisen and Minnesota Twins' Joe Smith. 

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