Despite hiccups, Giants all in on new technology for giving signs

Monday night, in the Giants’ 4-2 loss to the Padres in the opener of a three-game series, Wood made his 2022 debut by employing PitchCom, the electronic system used to relay signs from the catcher to the pitcher.

Because the pitcher needn’t wait for the traditional method of giving signs, with the catcher dropping fingers, the pace can quicken, and another benefit is preventing runners on second base from picking off the signs and relaying them to the batter.

In the second inning, however, catcher Joey Bart walked to the mound appearing a bit perplexed while gazing at his wristband full of buttons, the brains of the operation. Several infielders joined Wood and Bart on the mound, all looking down at the PitchCom device, which apparently was malfunctioning.

It was decided that Bart temporarily would scrap the technology and go back to finger signs, and Wood quickly pitched out of a two-runners-in-scoring-position scenario by striking out Eric Hosmer and Jurickson Profar.

Later in the game, Wood and Bart went back to using the system, and this time it worked. But Wood gave up the tying run in the fourth on Profar’s bases-loaded, two-out infield hit. Wood made a nice stop near the third-base line and throw to first, but Profar was called safe, and another form of technology didn’t help the cause -- the Giants asked for a review, but the call stood.

Manny Machado’s homer in the fifth chased Wood.

Despite the issues, the Giants are all in with the technology, and manager Gabe Kapler said before the game that using PitchCom as the only way to give signs is “an inevitability. I would push a lot of chips in that eventually there will be no signs given on the field.”

Eventually, it should be a smooth process for all concerned, and backup catcher Curt Casali said pitchers would be “ill-advised to not use it. It’s too good not to. ... It’s one of the most radical things baseball has done in a long time, and I think it’s super positive so far.”

Furthermore, Casali said, “I think this will take significant minutes off” the time of games. “When we’re competing against all these other fast-paces sports, it’s tough to think as baseball as exciting as those. We’re playing a game of chess while others are playing Mortal Kombat. I think this is a great step to finally adopting to new times.”

Yastrzemski’s night: The Giants made several outstanding defensive plays including a couple by right fielder Mike Yastrzemski, who did his best work in foul territory — a sliding catch on a Wil Myers popup and running catch against the protective net on a fly by Austin Nola.

Yastrzemski also got his first hit of the season in his 10th at-bat, a seventh-inning single, but was stranded at second when Profar, the Padres’ left fielder, made a fabulous catch in the gap to rob Darin Ruf. That kept the score 3-2. The Padres scored an insurance run in the ninth.

Rogers versus Rogers: Both of the Rogers brothers appeared in the game, and while Tyler was handed the loss, Taylor earned the save.

The Giants’ Tyler Rogers pitched the seventh inning and had runners at the corners with one out when Manny Machado hit a chopper toward the mound. The proper play was to cut off the run at the plate, but Rogers set up to throw to second for a possible double play. He bobbled the ball and then got the out at first, enabling Ha-Seong Kim to score the deciding run.

Taylor Rogers, acquired by the Padres last week in a trade with Minneosta, pitched a scoreless ninth. For the fifth time in history, identical twins appeared in the same big-league game, and the Rogers brothers were the first since Jose and Ozzie Canseco in 1990.

No. 9 hitter: The Giants scored their first run on Mauricio Dubon’s sacrifice fly, which was significant because Dubon batted ninth. In the olden days, that was the pitcher’s spot, and Wood most likely would not have accomplished what Dubon did.

Last year, Wood went 0-for-38 with 26 strikeouts. Universal designated hitter fans, rejoice.

Melvin back in bay: New Padres manager Bob Melvin, wearing brown and gold after an 11-year run in Oakland’s green and gold, returned to the Bay Area and noticed something right away at cold and windy Oracle Park: “This is more of a Candlestick day.”

Melvin, who played at Menlo-Atherton High School in Menlo Park, Cal and the Giants, said, “It’s always special to come home.”

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