WASHINGTON D.C. -- The next time you have the inclination to get mad at the Giants for not signing a big-time free agent pitcher -- or even one of their own, like Kevin Gausman -- to a long-term contract, remember the first two innings of Friday night's game at Nationals Park.
The Giants made quick work of Patrick Corbin in a 7-1 win in the nation's capital, knocking him out with two outs in the second inning. By that point, the lead was already 7-0 and the Giants had batted around while scoring seven runs in the frame on six hits and a pair of walks.
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Corbin, who signed a six-year, $140 million deal in 2018, heard boos as he walked off the mound. He was a Cy Young candidate in 2018 with the Arizona Diamondbacks and signed his mega-deal that offseason, but outside of his first year in D.C. -- when the Nationals, to be fair, won the World Series -- it has been a disaster.
Corbin entered this series with a 5.59 ERA since the start of the 2020 season and that number jumped up in the second inning, when Austin Slater hit a three-run blast and Brandon Crawford added a three-run double. Corbin walked off with a 11.20 ERA through four starts. The Nationals still owe him more than $70 million.
Anyway, here are three more things to know from the first night in D.C.
All-Around Austin
Slater hasn't played much since the Giants have faced just three left-handed starters through 14 games, and he led off Friday night with a .105 average next to his name. In the first two innings, he was responsible for a five-run swing, two coming on defense and three at the plate.
Slater's diving catch to end the bottom of the first saved at least a couple of runs. He had to go 106 feet to make the play and reached a speed of 30.5 feet per second, by far the fastest recorded sprint of the season by a Giants player.
Slater came up in the top of the next inning with one out and two on. He smoked a homer to right-center, breaking the game open.
The blast was Slater's first of the season.
Doubling Up
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Crawford kicked off the 20-minute top of the second with a double off the first base bag. His positive vibes continued after the Giants brought him up once again later in the inning.
With the Giants leading 4-0 and Corbin wilting, Crawford hit a line-drive to the gap in left-center. It looked like left fielder Lane Thomas would track it down, but the ball bounced off his glove as he tried to make a sliding grab. It rolled all the way to the wall and all three runners scored.
Per ESPN Stats and Information, Crawford became the first player this season with multiple doubles in an inning and just the third Giant over the last 50 years to do it. Jeff Kent pulled it off in 2001 and Jose Cruz Jr. in 2003.
More bullpen games?
Monday's rainout forced the Giants to go with a bullpen game on Friday, and Gabe Kapler certainly didn't mind.
"Last year we trusted our bullpen on several bullpen days and those went really well for us," he said earlier this week.
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The first try in 2022 went really well, too. Sam Long got the start and went two scoreless innings, striking out one. Jakob Junis took over in the third and took the shutout through the seventh. He allowed just three hits and struck out four. Neither pitcher issued a walk, but both probably owe steaks.
Long got early help from Slater and Junis benefited from Mauricio Dubon's 93 mph missile from center field that cut Juan Soto down at third base.