By Morris Phillips
6-0 lead in the sixth? Squandered. 7-5 lead in the bottom of the ninth? Disappeared with one swing of the bat.
And after the Giants broke through in the top of the 12th, their 8-7 lead disappeared at well.
In what would undoubtedly qualify as the toughest loss of the season, the Giants were defeated 9-8 by the Braves on Monday despite leading by six runs at one point and slugging four home runs in the process.
The Giants have lost two in a row for the first time in nearly a month, and now find themselves three games behind the Dodgers in the NL West.
“It didn’t play out well, and it looked like it might even when they came back,” manager Bruce Bochy said.
Brandon Crawford homered in each of his first two at-bats, the second of which put the Giants up 6-0 in the fourth, but the shortstop’s throwing error in the 12th inning, allowing the tying run to reach base, had a bigger impact on the outcome. Three pitches after Jace Peterson reached on Crawford’s error, Adonis Garcia homered off Ryan Vogelsong to give the Braves the win.
“We just weren’t putting together the same at-bats we were earlier in the game,” Crawford said. “Give credit to their bullpen, I guess.”
The game lasted nearly four hours in muggy, 90 degree heat and featured numerous swings in momentum. Six double plays were turned by the two teams, and after the Giants hit their four homers, the Braves came back with four home runs of their own.
Matt Cain got the start and was in line for the win when he ran into trouble in the sixth. The first four Braves’ batters reached in that inning, and Cain was lifted having allowed three runs and Garcia planted at second base. George Kontos came on in relief, and before he could get out of Cain’s jam, the reliever allowed Nick Markakis to single in Garcia to make the score 6-4.
The Giants appeared to have the insurance run they needed in the ninth when Nori Aoki single home Ehire Adrianza to make it 7-5. But with a chance to close the door, Santiago Casilla allowed three hits and a walk, including the game-tying, two-run homer to A.J. Pierzynski.
In the 12th, the Giants reclaimed the lead when Kelby Tomlinson singled and Buster Posey singled him home two batters later. Tomlinson picked up his first major league hit on the day he was called up from AAA Sacramento to replace Joe Panik, who landed on the 15-day disabled list due to a lingering back issue.
In addition to Panik, Angel Pagan was a late scratch Monday with knee soreness.
On Tuesday, the Giants turn to arguably their hottest starting pitcher, Jake Peavy in a matchup with Shelby Miller. Miller hasn’t won a game since May 19, losing his last six decisions.
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