The Atlanta Braves Drake Baldwin (30) slugs a first inning two RBI single against the San Francisco Giants at Truist Field in Cumberland Cobb County GA on Mon Jul 21, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Horrible pitching from Hayden Birdsong lasting only one inning started the downward slide for the San Francisco Giants (52-48) losing to the Atlanta Braves (43-55) 9-5 in game one of their three game series.

Top it off with some very sloppy defense and the Giants outfield was awful. Willy Adames is in fifth place with the most errors in the majors and San Francisco has a lot to clean up going forward.

Mistakes from Jung Hoo Lee which we don’t expect to see was just another factor. Put it all together and you have a string of losses.

Game recap: The Giants had a productive start in the top of the first inning scoring a run taking an early 1-0 lead, Matt Chapman hit an infield single and Heliot Ramos was able to cross home plate.
The San Francisco lead was short-lived in the bottom of the first inning. The Braves scored five runs taking a 5-1 lead. A huge hit for Atlanta came off the bat of Drake Baldwin who doubled driving in three runners, Ronald Acuna Jr., Jurickson Profar, Matt Olsen and just like that the score was 3-0. The Braves would score two more runs off a Nick Allen single. Ozzie Albies and Drake Baldwin both scored on the Allen hit and Atlanta had a 5-1 lead after the opening inning.

It was a disastrous start for Birdsong in the first inning. He walked the first three at bats, gave up a double followed by another walk and then hit Sean Murphy. The Braves had scored three runs off one hit.

Birdsong was relieved by Matt Gage who struck out a couple of Braves but gave up the Nick Allen single for two more runs. This was not an outing that Birdsong will want to remember any time soon and this was not the way San Francisco wanted to start this game but it was still very early with a lot of ball still to be played.

The Giants got something cooking in the second and third innings but was only able to score in the second inning. Patrick Bailey sacrificed and Wilmer Flores scored. San Francisco trailed by three runs 5-2 but it was still manageable.

In the bottom of the fourth inning the Braves had another scoring frenzy taking an 8-2 lead. Drake Baldwin who was having a great game singled Matt Olsen and Ronald Ocuna Jr home. Another run would score off an Ozzie Albies single and the Braves were really humming.

The Giants would score one run in the top of the fifth inning but more than half-way through the game they would need more while putting the skids on the offensive effort from Atlanta which had been very productive.

Willy Adames doubled Rafael Devers home for the single run. The Giants Tristin Beck took over on the mound coming away with the Giants first three and out inning in the game.

The Braves scored again in the bottom of the sixth inning when both Ronald Acuna Jr and Drake Baldwin hit doubles. The Baldwin double drove in Acuna Jr. taking a 9-3 lead.

Willy Adames hit his 15th home run of the season in the seventh inning, a solo shot and the score was 9-4 in favor of Atlanta. San Francisco already had ten hits through seven innings but it was the first inning that put them behind the eight ball. The Giants had some work to do with two innings left in the game.

The score was 9-4 going into the ninth inning. San Francisco got a run in the ninth but it was too little too late. They have now lost six games in a row. They had 12 hits in the game but ugly defense and trouble on the mound was the deciding factor in the 9-5 loss. Mental errors cost San Francisco dearly.

Game notes: After losing a series to the red-hot Toronto Blue Jays over the weekend, the San Francisco Giants (52-48) dropped the first game of the three game series on Monday night in steamy Atlanta (43-55). At first pitch the temperature was an uncomfortable 86 degrees and dry but rain is called for Tuesday, in fact eight days of rain in a row. Hopefully they will be able to work in games two and three without delays.

Birdsong didn’t pitch long relieved without retiring one batter in the first inning allowing one hit and five earned runs and walking four. For the Braves starter Bryce Elder five innings pitched, eight hits, three earned runs, and one strike out.

Tuesday the Giants will try to break the six game losing streak and come away with a win. It can’t get much worse than what was seen Monday. Landen Roupp will take the mound for the Giants with a 6-6 win/loss record and a 3.27 ERA. The Braves plan on starting Davis Daniel (0-0 ERA 1.80). First pitch for this game is scheduled for 4:15 PM PT.