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A Season Lost: The Giants six, most damaging losses in 2022

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By Morris Phillips

At 69-74, with 19 games remaining, the Giants are playing out the string, holding daily auditions for the 2023 season, and moving players between Sacramento and San Francisco so frequently they could cause their own, I-80 traffic jam.

It’s tedious stuff especially after the excitement stretched into October last season, and those 107 wins are just a polarizing subject at this point. But the organization trudges on, knowing that a better 2023 season is within their capable reach.

But first, what went wrong? And when did it happen? The Giants started fast through April 26, winning the 13 of their first 18 games to take a lead in the NL West, then a disturbing trend emerged: losing games too frequently to mediocre and bad teams.

In the four games starting April 27, the Giants lost three of four home games to the A’s and Nationals, the teams with the worst record in each league this season. And it wasn’t that they lost, but how they lost. First, a 1-0 shutout loss to Paul Blackburn and the A’s at Oracle Park, followed by a 14-4 whipping in which Alex Wood was roughed up, and then to finish the series with the Nationals, Alex Cobb was taken to task in a 11-5 loss. We’ll term the stretch one frustrating loss followed by two embarrassing ones.

A key moment emerged regarding the team’s bullpen in the 11-5 loss. Trailing 8-0, the Giants struck for five runs in the bottom of the seventh to crawl back in it, only to see reliever Jake McGee allow two hits and two walks in the eighth, culminating with Yadiel Hernandez’ bases-clearing double that again put the game out of reach. McGee would go on to get roughed up in his next outing versus the Cardinals, and then released on July 9, a humbling conclusion for a pitcher who was signed prior to the 2021 season to be the team’s closer.

Keeping track? On May 1, beginning with McGee’s implosion another troubling trend emerged: the season-long failure of the bullpen which has gone from the NL’s best in 2021 to one of the worst in 2022.

So does May 1 qualify as one of the Giants’ six most damaging losses in 2022? Probably, but for our purposes, no. The Giants have performed admirably against non-NL West competition, with a 48-38 record that culminated with the 4-1 win over the Braves on Wednesday. Their biggest malfeasance has been competing against divisional opponents, who have doubled down their efforts to beat the Giants after they were soundly outclassed in 2021.

Last season the Giants were an other-worldly 53-23 against the Dodgers, Padres, D’Backs and Rockies (17-2 against Colorado). This season, with the final 19 games all against these four teams, the Giants are 21-36 with a string of narrow losses in low-scoring games in which their offense has all but disappeared. That’s a .368 winning percentage that would rank as their third-worst showing versus divisional opponents since 1969. In a closer look, that’s 15 games below .500 with a run-differential in those 57 games of only minus 30. Again, the NL West losses have been close, low-scoring and agonizing.

Here are the six, most frustrating of those losses, and the most damaging of the season in its entirety.

May 3, at Dodger Stadium: Coming off the A’s/Nationals downer, the Giants needed a pick-me up in their first meeting with the hated Blue after the Game 5 loss in the 2021 NLDS. Carlos Rodon appeared to be the guy to give it to them, but he walked Max Muncy and Cody Bellinger in a 27-pitch, second inning that left him trailing 2-0. Meanwhile, the Giants with Mauricio Dubon and Darin Ruf (both subsequently traded) hitting 2-3 in their limited lineup went 0 for 7 against Julio Urias and four relievers. In the eighth, trailing 2-1, John Brebbia allowed a leadoff double to Hanser Alberto, who later scored on Jose Alvarez’ wild pitch to provide the Dodgers insurance in a 3-1 win.

Biggest frustration: the Giants got beat by Chris Taylor (2 RBI) and Alberto, hitting 8-9, not Mookie Betts, Trea Turner and Freddie Freeman, hitting 1-2-3.

May 18, at Coors Field: After a pair of losses at Los Angeles, the Giants rebounded with a winning home stand, followed by three wins in five games at St. Louis and Colorado. In the getaway game against the Rockies the Giants had an opportunity to secure a winning road trip while topping the Rockies for a franchise-record 13th straight time. Leading 3-2 in the eighth inning, things went sideways despite the presence of Logan Webb, looking for a ML-leading sixth win.

Manager Gabe Kapler decided to stick with Webb to start the eight, and he allowed a leadoff single to Connor Joe, and Webb was replaced by Jose Alvarez. Charlie Blackmon’s bunt moved Joe into scoring position, and the next batter, Yonathon Diaz, delivered a game-tying single. Slugger C.J. Cron then got revved up by receiving a 3-0 count from Alvarez, and delivered the game-winning, two-run homer two pitches later. The Giants went scoreless after the fourth inning against starter Kyle Freeland and three, less than exemplary relievers.

Biggest frustration: Webb allowed two runs in the first, then settled in. He retired 16 consecutive batters before allowing Joe’s leadoff single in the eighth. Should Kapler have lifted him at that point with fewer than 100 pitches thrown (97)?

July 7, at Petco Park: In what would becme the Giants 13th loss in a 17-game stretch, Webb was again terrific, but given no support. This time, Webb went a full eight innings, allowed one run, but left with the game tied, 1-1 in what would become a frustrating 2-1 loss in 10 innings. What’s worse, Webb had company in being singularly heroic in a devastating loss as Brandon Crawford came up with a game-tying base hit with two outs in the ninth. Even worse? Taylor Rogers, on a night the Giants’ offense was MIA, played the helpful twin brother (to the Giants’ Tyler Rogers) by plunking Austin Slater to leadoff the ninth. Slater than stole second, and scored on Crawford’s big hit… to no avail.

Biggest frustration: The Giants went 10 innings in this one with just two hits, and somehow realized 11 missed opportunities with a runner in scoring position. Three of those came in the 10th with the placed runner at second base, another three came in the sixth when the Giants failed to push a run across after Lamonte Wade Jr. ignited the inning with a leadoff double.

July 21, at Dodger Stadium: The first game after the All-Star break saw the Giants all but finished in the division with a 13 1/2 game deficit behind the first-place Dodgers. But at 48-44, the team was still in great shape to compete for a wild-card spot in the newly-expanded postseason format. Five wins in the final six games leading up to the break suggested that the club was ready to put it’s bad habits away, and get down to business, but that turned out to not be the case.

After Rodon was uncharacteristically roughed up in the game’s first, five innings, the Giants mounted a rally down 5-0. A five-run seventh tied it, and Thairo Estrada drew a bases loaded walk in the eighth to give the Giants a 6-5 lead. Kapler summoned Dominic Leone to pitch the bottom of the eighth, but he allowed a one-out double to Gavin Lux on a two-strike pitch and the walls caved in. After retiring Max Muncy on a ground out, Leone gave up a game-tying triple to Trayce Thompson, and he was relieved by Jarlin Garcia. Clay Bellinger, batting ninth, drew a four-pitch walk and three pitches later, Mookie Betts’ three-run homer put the Dodgers in the winners circle once again.

Biggest frustration: The Giants came up empty under the big lights. With singer Billie Eilish, her songwriting brother Phineas, and 3-time World Champion Klay Thompson in the stands the Giants came up small in the game’s biggest moments. That they were ultimately undone by Betts (facing Garcia) only furthered the belief that the club needs an infusion of superstar-talent to compete with their hated rival from Southern California.

July 27, at Chase Field: The Giants’ decisive stretch of seven-consecutive losses to start the season’s second half concluded with this one, a game that was tied 2-2 in the seventh when the D’Backs pushed across three runs to decide it. While Arizona got resourceful and opportunistic with a pair of bunts to ignite their game-winning rally, the Giants just self-destructed. After Jake McCarthy’s leadoff bunt base hit, Sergia Alcantara’s single moved McCarthy to third. Austin Slater attempted to throw out McCarthy at third, but failed, and that allowed Alcantara to move up a base. Jose Herrera got down a bunt to score McCarthy and give Arizona a lead, but Brandon Belt fielded the bunt and airmailed his throw to the plate in an attempt to cut down McCarthy. That error allowed Alcantara to score as well.

Biggest frustration: Kapler, once again saw his Giants fail with Rodon or, in this case, Webb getting the start. Even more telling, the club’s body language wasn’t what it needed to be after six, consecutive losses, prompting Kapler to say, “We need to come out with more fire.”

August 10, at Petco Park: In the midst of a stretch of games where the Giants again sprung to life winning eight of 10, this was the one that prevented a ninth win in 10 outings, as the Giants blew 4-0 and 7-6 leads only to lose 13-7. The Padres basked in the glow of their Juan Soto acquisition, and got to spray off a bunch of self-congratulatory quotes after the game. The Giants squandered a big game from deadline pickups J.D. Davis (three hits, two runs scored) and Austin Wynns (two hits, two runs scored), but saw starter Jakob Junis and reliever Yunior Marte fall into a world of trouble. Junis was a revelation in the season’s first half with his ability to take the ball every fifth day in place of the injured Anthony DeSclafani, but this game highlighted the fact that Junis’ season derailed for a stretch following a hamstring injury. Marte, pitching in a big spot in the absence of a bunch of ineffective Giants’ relievers that were released, demoted or no longer trusted, was left to get fleeced in the Padres’ seven-run, sixth inning rally.

Biggest frustration: Another loss to the Padres (the Giants trail the season series with San Diego 11-5) and another lost opportunity to expose their shortcomings. Since August 3, the date of Soto’s acquisition, the Padres have gone 18-19 and seen Fernando Tatis Jr. suspended for 80 games for violating MLB’s rules regarding performance-enhancing drugs. Had the Giants applied the heat in head-to-head matchups, they’d likely still be in the postseason hunt. Instead the Padres received a pass, and even then, they might be had by the Brewers down the stretch.

Spoil Sports: Giants win 4-1, keep the Braves from gaining the NL East lead

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–This time, the weight of a long, draining baseball season fell squarely on the shoulders of the Atlanta Braves.

The Giants–on the strength of a couple of good night’s sleep in their own beds–were poised to take advantage.

Austin Wynns drove in three runs, and Carlos Rodon cruised through five innings before a blister issue forced him from the mound. The Giants have won four of five, following a five-game slide.

“I think we’re more than capable (of being) a winning team,” Rodon said. “Unfortunately, the way it’s gone this year, it’s been up and down for us and we’ve kind of been behind often. But as of late we’ve played really well.”

The Braves looked sluggish facing Rodon and the four relievers that followed, with their top of the order guys–Ronald Acuna Jr. batting leadoff, Darby Swanson, Austin Riley and Matt Olson–all posting 0 for 4 games.

Charlie Morton, the Braves’ starter with a long history of success against the Giants (15 starts, four wins, 2.55 ERA coming in) took the loss, allowing four runs on four hits before he departed in the sixth inning. Morton suffered his first loss since July 27.

The Braves concluded an eight-game, three-city trip (Oakland, Seattle and San Francisco) with a thud. Manager Brian Snitker commented after the game that he felt like his club hadn’t been home in forever. It showed on Wednesday, their fourth loss in five games, and they failed to overtake the Mets for the NL East lead with the loss.

“You’re trying to win every game,” Snitker said. “Every game is big. They all mean a lot now.”

Rodon’s blister issue can’t be taken lightly. So much speculation has been spent on whether the former White Sox pitcher will opt-in to his $22 million option for next year with the Giants, or choose to test the free agent market. Which ever decision he makes, a bunch of money will be involved, and the Giants will want to make their best impression in hopes of keeping him.

“We felt like where we were in the season, it was the right decision to get him out of there,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. “I don’t anticipate (Rodon missing time) but we’re going to be cautious with Carlos and talk to him tomorrow and see how he’s feeling and go from there.”

“It’s just something I’ve been dealing with all year,” Rodon said. “Whenever I get a lot of pressure on that slider, it just tends to crack and get that blood blister, so just something we’ve got to manage.”

Rodon improved to 13-8 with the win, matching Logan Webb for the team lead in wins.

The Giants open a weekend set with the Dodgers on Friday night. Webb will be matched with Los Angeles’ Dustin May in the opener.

Scott Alexander, save us from ourselves!: Weary, cranky Giants record eventful 3-2 win over the Braves

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–The adjectives surrounding the disappointing 2022 Giants–streaky, weary, cranky, engaged–collided Monday night in an eighth inning pitching change that said everything about the club’s mindset entering the final weeks of a trying season.

What’s clear? They’re not calling it in.

The Giants built a three-run lead, and almost squandered it in the tumultuous eighth, only to emerge with a 3-2 win over the NL East-contending Braves. The Giants’ third straight win after a five-game slide was improbable, to say the least, given their circumstances.

Alex Cobb was the focal point for the first seven innings by scattering six singles and no walks. Cobb’s performance was critical as he was the only member of the team’s contingent to avoid a trying night of travel back from Chicago that saw the team arrive at SFO airport at 4:18am.

At 4:18am, Cobb was undoubtedly tucked away and asleep at his Bay Area home, as it’s common protocol to send the pitcher designated to start a home stand on an earlier flight, insuring him a regular night’s rest. In this case, that rest was apparent.

Also avoiding the difficult travel after a head-scratching Sunday night game on ESPN between two teams that have been eliminated from post-season contention was Willie Calhoun, a Vallejo native who posted credible numbers in his 41 games at Triple-A Sacramento since being acquired from the Rangers.

It was Calhoun that got the Giants ignited with an RBI hit off the bricks in right that scored Brandon Crawford with the game’s first run. Luis Gonzalez followed with a RBI single that gave the Giants a second-inning lead on Braves’ starter Spencer Strider.

Head scratching could describe the Giants’ breakthrough against Strider, unquestionably the hottest pitcher in the National League with a 6-1 record in his previous eight starts, including 16 strikeouts against the Rockies on September 1. Strider posted his typical strikeout numbers with nine but uncharacteristically allowed a season-high nine hits. He departed after the Giants scored an unearned run in the fifth trailing 3-0.

“For those guys to get a few hours of sleep, wake up, do their routines and go out there and get three runs off probably one of the better pitchers in all of baseball and play the type of defense they did, just gutsy,” Cobb said.

Zach Littell, not John Brebbia, was the first reliever to appear in the eighth and the departure from manager Gabe Kapler’s normal bullpen deployment created chaos. Littell allowed the first four Braves he faced to reach (two singles, a double and a four-pitch walk to No. 9 hitter Robbie Grossman) and the Giants’ cushion vanished.

Littell recovered by inducing the run-producing Austin Riley to hit into a double play and–in that moment–felt he had regained ownership of the inning.

Kapler felt otherwise and in a typical decision rooted in left-right matchups summoned Scott Alexander. As only the myriad of ballpark cameras can capture, the Oracle Park crowd was witness to the angry exchange of the baseball with Littell offering a few words to Kapler as he departed with the manager and catcher Austin Wynns left stunned.

“I wanted Olson,” Littell said afterwards, referring to the ensuing Braves’ batter. “Not that I pitched well enough to deserve it.”

“Obviously he’s a competitor and wanted to finish that inning. And I think it was just his wanting me to know that he wanted to finish that inning,” Kapler said. “We discussed it and it and he knows when I come out to get the ball he needs to put the ball in my hand and we’ll talk about anything later.”

The hero in the maelstrom? Alexander, who induced an inning-ending flyout, then returned for the ninth, and recorded the four-out save.

Downright Rebellious: UNLV’s late rally falls short, Cal moves to 2-0 with 20-14 win

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–California is looking forward after they hung on to defeat UNLV 20-14.

The Rebels and coach Marcus Arroyo are looking back, trying to understand how the numerous, second half opportunities they were afforded didn’t culminate with a touchdown that would have given them a late lead.

“We’ve got a locker room full of guys right now that are disappointed we didn’t finish that game,” Arroyo said. “You’ve got to capitalize against quality opponents.”

The Bears led 14-0 and 20-7, and at one point during the third quarter also held a sizeable advantage in time of possession, but from an offensive standpoint, they couldn’t finish off UNLV. Empty trips into the red zone and a damaging, early, second quarter interception kept the Rebels in it.

In the end, Cal’s defense pulled through when Henry Ikahihifo sacked UNLV quarterback Doug Brumfield for a loss of 13 yards with 1:03 remaining. Two plays later, Isaiah Young picked off Brumfield’s desperation, downfield pass.

While the Bears’ offense went from spirited to sputtering, their defense contained Brumfield, who threw for just 206 yards, while misfiring 15 times, and running for just 12 yards on ten attempts. Ricky White, the Rebels’ top receiver caught just one pass after the first quarter and totaled 56 yards on four catches.

Cal’s blitzing, which intensified on the final UNLV drive, not only led to the key interception, but also showed in the visitor’s penalty numbers, which saw them commit eight infractions for 101 yards.

“No. 1, is to win the game. It carries more weight than any other goal,” Wilcox said. “We also recognize where we need to get better.”

In that category, kicker Dario Longhetto converted field goals in the second and third quarters, but his miss from 43 yards with 8:06 remaining kept the game within one score.

Plummer finished 28 of 39 for 278 yards, but only two of his completions went for more than 10 yards. The first of those two saw freshman running back Jaydn Ott go 12 yards on a swing pass and leap into the end zone for a 14-0 Cal lead.

“He missed a couple, but he threw some very good balls,” Wilcox said of Plummer. “We’ve got to do things to protect him, to keep that pass rush at bay.”

The 2-0 Bears travel to South Bend, Indiana next weekend to face Notre Dame, who inexplicably lost to Marshall 26-21, their first ever loss to a team from the Sun Belt Conference. The Bears’ undefeated start will create confidence as will a match up against signal caller Ty Buchner, who has yet to throw a touchdown pass in two games, and was picked off twice by the Thundering Herd.

“They’re still a really good team,” said sixth-year defensive back Daniel Scott cautiously.

Our Turn: Dodgers late rally the difference in 7-3 win over the Giants

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By Morris Phillips

David Villar’s pair of home runs kept his late-season audition humming along, but the Dodgers had responses to Villar and the Giants in their 7-3 win on Wednesday afternoon.

The Giants 2-0 lead was eclipsed by Justin Turner’s three-run homer in the fifth off Alex Cobb. Then in the eighth, Trea Turner doubled, scoring Austin Barnes to give the Dodgers a 4-3 lead. Two batters later, Max Muncy’s three-run shot put the game away, and officially eliminated the Giants in the NL West race.

“I wanted to get the ball in the air on that one,” Muncy said. “We have the fastest guy in baseball (Trea Turner) on third base.”

The Giants suffered consecutive losses to the Dodgers after their five home run performance on Monday. That leaves them 28 1/2 games out of first place with 27 games remaining.

So what’s next? A trip to Milwaukee for a doubleheader with the Brewers on Thursday, followed by a weekend in Chicago with the Cubs.

While the Giants would love to catch fire and challenge the Brewers and Padres, who are holding the last, two playoff spots, just surviving the condensed schedule this week would be admirable. A revolving door roster, giving several guys opportunities to shine, will help ease the grind.

Currently at the top of that list are Villar and Lewis Brinson, after the pair both homered three times in the series.

“We’ve talked the last couple of days about how instrumental David can be to the future of this franchise,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “I see him as a guy who’s setting the stage for what might happen next season.”

Even more impressive than Villar’s 30 combined home runs at Triple-A Sacramento and San Francisco with the Giants is his enthusiasm. Clearly, he senses the opportunity to grab a regular role at first or third base with Wilmer Flores, Brandon Belt and Evan Longoria unlikely to return next season. Homering off Clayton Kershaw in the fifth inning to give the Giants a lead just intensified his aspirations.

“He’s a historic pitcher,” Villar said. “But my job is to do exactly what I did. I got a mistake slider that was over the heart of the plate, and I know that I’m capable of driving the ball to the right side of the field.”

Villar doubled down in his next at-bat in the seventh, with a home run to the same area in the bleachers that tied the game, 3-3. The second shot victimized reliever Jeff Bruihl and his cut fastball.

Outside of Villar, the Giants’ offense did little with their other six base hits contributing to seven men left on base. Flores, Longoria and Austin Wynns each suffered 0 for 4 afternoons.

NOTES: Luis Torres is traveling with the club and expected to pitch on Thursday. Jakob Junis, who was the scheduled starter, Sean Hjelle and Scott Alexander are also likely to pitch with their roles to be determined. Bryce Johnson, the outfielder, was optioned to Sacramento.

Are We Done Yet? Giants light up the sky in 7-4 win over the Dodgers

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By Morris Phillips

Five days ago, Giants’ manager Gabe Kapler said this:

“The main issue for us is we haven’t been as good in the (strike) zone. I think earlier in the season, we were much better at driving balls in the zone.”

Don’t recall that quote that Kapler issued after his team dropped a third straight to the Padres on Wednesday?

Probably not. But apparently his team did. Seven home runs, eight doubles and a triple in the last four games suggest the Giants got the message. And four, straight wins, including Monday’s eye-opener, a 7-4 win at Dodger Stadium may also suggest they haven’t closed the book on the 2022 season.

Or foreshadowing other areas to shore up.

“The home runs were big,” Kapler said. “I think we at least equally won the game with some defense.”

After Freddie Freeman homered to give the Dodgers a 2-0 first inning lead, the Giants were left to check the weather (95 degrees at first pitch) and see what they could glean from the scouting report on opposing pitcher Andrew Heaney (only seven home runs allowed, but six of those in his most recent three starts).

A plan of attack emerged (rake!) and the Giants followed it intently.

In the third and fourth innings, Lewis Brinson, J.D. Davis, Thairo Estrada and David Villar went deep to give the Giants a commanding 6-2 lead. In the ninth, with the Giants nursing a 6-4 lead, Brinson went deep again. If you know this quartet, you’ve exhaustingly followed a rough season. If not–Brinson’s arrival came on Thursday after the slugger languished in the Astros’ farm system all season–here’s help: we’ll call them the next generation of Giants’ sluggers.

Monday’s haul was just the third time the Giants have hit five homers in a game at Dodger Stadium with the feat previously achieved in 1999 and 2004. The win broke a seven-game losing streak to the Dodgers and provided hope. That’s not easily achieved when you trail your rival by 26 1/2 games in September.

“It’s fun when you win, especially here in LA,” Villar said. “As a team, it just feels like we’re gelling.”

Defensively, Brandon Crawford and Evan Longoria provided gems with Longo’s leaping catch of Freeman’s smash ending the fifth inning and preventing the Dodgers from scoring what would have been a big run.

Logan Webb was extremely honest regarding Freeman’s homer (“The Freeman pitch was not a great pitch. I can’t throw that guy anything.”) but he also was a winner. Webb settled in, didn’t give the Dodgers anything else, and earned his 12th win in his 28th start (both career bests).

The Giants look for an improbable, fifth, consecutive win on Tuesday with Tyler Anderson on the mound for the Dodgers. The Giants have not yet announced a starter for Tuesday.

Giants Turn The Page: Brinson, Villar, Knapp first to get September auditions

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By Morris Phillips

The Giants have a refreshed look for the final month of the season with three roster additions now that the team no longer has postseason possibilities in 2022.

The additions won’t showcase the organization’s top prospects, but they give three, intriguing players a chance to help the club win now, particularly if they can provide timely hits and credible defense. The biggest parallel for all three? They all have big league experience and little else to prove in the minors.

Once again, the Giants are practicing pragmatism, while the fan base might want personnel pyrotechnics. But their approach is sound. The new rules institued just before the start of the season allow for two, additional rostered players, not the clubhouse-crowding ten to 15 spots that traditionally bought the number of players in uniform to or near 40. Teams are forced fill specific needs under this format.

If you’re hoping to see Heliot Ramos, Marco Luciano or the fast-rising Vaun Brown–the guys in the San Francisco minor league system that have the biggest buzz–don’t hold your breath. All three probably won’t be heard from until spring training or even next September. Unfortunately, as we found out when the Juan Soto-to-the-Padres deal went down, Giants’ prospects haven’t had a bang up season as several experienced injuries and missed time, and none transformed themselves into MLB-ready breakout stars. The guy that came the closest was 21-year old Kyle Harrison who pitched well enough that there was speculation he could skip AAA Sacramento an earn a promotion to San Francisco.

David Villar and Lewis Brinson, who was acquired Thursday in a trade involving minor leaguers that haven’t made a Major League appearance this season, will join the team for Friday’s series opener against the Phillies. Villar provides his experience gained earlier this season in his first call-up, and gives the 25-year old a reward for his outstanding season at Sacramento. Villar will allow the Giants to spell Evan Longoria at third base, and provide insurance if the 36-year old veteran continues to have issues with his hamstring.

Brinson was acquired from the Astros for cash, and he provides intrigue in that he was a buzzworthy prospect a few years back as the main piece coming back in the trade that sent Christian Yelich to the Brewers from the Marlins. Currently, the 28-year old hasn’t panned out with heavy strikeouts numbers being his biggest impediment, but he had 45 extra-base hits in 85 games at AAA Sugar Land. Brunson provides another center field option for a club that only has Mike Yastrzemski with Austin Slater’s status uncertain due to the dislocated finger he suffered earlier this week.

Andrew Knapp got a promotion with fellow catcher Joey Bart landing on the 7-day concussion list. Knapp and Austin Wynns will be the team’s two catchers until Bart returns, although there’s a possibility that when he does return the Giants will retain all three for the final month. Knapp played collegiately at Cal and grew up in Sacramento. He wasn’t hesitant to express his excitement with the move.

“To end up back on the team that I grew up watching, it’s pretty awesome,” said Knapp, who has played 322 Major League games in five seasons with the Phillies, Pirates and Mariners.

Again, this isn’t a youth movement. Villar is 25, Brinson is 28, and Knapp, 30. The hope is Farhan Zaidi’s roster moves make the Giants better–even if it’s incrementally. The other prong in Zaidi’s equation is landing a splashy acquisition (like Shohei Ohtani or Aaron Judge) at some point next season.

On Friday, Alex Cobb will take the mound for the Giants with Kyle Gibson getting the start for the Phillies at 7:15pm.

The Low Point: Coming up short, injuries, Craw’s ejection symbolize the Giants’ squandered season in 5-4 loss to San Diego

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Well, we now know when the next meaningful Giants-Padres game will be.

April 29 at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú Béisbol in Mexico City. The remaining meetings between the clubs this season will be of diminished importance.

Adios Pelota.

The Giants suffered a third straight one-run loss to the Padres, 5-4 on Wednesday afternoon at a sparsely-populated Oracle Park. And if that weren’t burdensome enough, their season is unofficially done with a seventh straight loss to end August and a fall to fourth place in the NL West.

“Admirable effort, no quit,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “A lot of grind at the end no matter the situation. But the only thing that matters in this league is wins and losses and we weren’t able to get it done.”

That’s kind of the beginning of what’s wrong. The rest?

Have a seat.

Brandon Belt delayed his decision to opt for knee surgery until Thursday. The first baseman got a second opinion on his troublesome knee from Stanford Medicine that recommends surgery. The opinion alone likely ends his season, and starts speculation that his career with the Giants will end at the conclusion of the season. The 34-year old will be a free agent and he plans to speak to his agent regarding his options before deciding on the recommended surgery.

Austin Slater has a dislocated finger suffered in Tuesday’s loss. He couldn’t hit, but was available to pinch run, which he did, scoring a run in the eighth inning. Slater’s been a top performer offensively through the Giants’ last two months of losing, but it’s unlikely he plays much going forward or at all with the team wanting to audition other players in September.

Evan Longoria started Wednesday despite his sore hamstring. Joc Pederson and Brandon Crawford jawed with the umpires, who appeared to contribute to the Giants’ 14 strikeouts with questionable calls. Crawford was ejected after gesturing for calm and turning away from third base umpire Ryan Blakney and his emphatic heave-ho.

“You play below-par baseball for a really long period of time, tempers are going to flare,” Kapler said. “People are going to be pissed off. Stress levels are going to be high. Patience is going to be low.”

Then to conclude their afternoon, the hosts’ rally from a five-run deficit ended with an uneventful ninth inning while facing disposed closer Josh Hader. The former Brewers’ All-Star hasn’t tipped the scales with a 19.06 ERA in eight appearances since his trade. But he mowed down the Giants in the ninth, retiring Tommy La Stella, Luis Gonzalez and Austin Wynns after Thairo Estrada’s leadoff base hit to end it.

“Whether it was with Milwaukee or it was here, at the end of the day, it was something mechanically that I was going through. It was a little bump in the road that, ultimately, is making me into a better player, said Hader, who finally realized an opportunity to positively spin his struggles.

“We’ve got to get him going,” said Padres manager Bob Melvin. “This is a guy that we brought in for a reason.”

Lights Out: Giants suffer 5th consecutive loss, 6-5 to the Padres, further damaging their playoff hopes

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–The Giants needed working lights, of course. But at this critical juncture of the season, their wish list is lengthier than a functional ballpark.

An unusual night at Oracle Park unearthed few answers as the Giants suffered a frustrating loss to the Padres, 6-5.

Their fifth straight defeat was again littered with sporadic offense that didn’t take hold until the eighth inning, when they pushed across three runs, and disappeared as quickly as it materialized in the ninth.

Ironically, LaMonte Wade Jr. batted in the ninth, more than four hours after first pitch in a game extended by a pair of in-game delays, and struck out after looking at all three strikes.

So much for “Late Night” and so much for the Giants.

“I thought it was a better offensive performance, but there’s no question the main issue for us is we haven’t been as good in the (hitting) zone,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “I think earlier in the season, we were much better at driving balls in the zone.”

Carlos Rodon left the Giants in an early hole, allowing three runs in the first, capped by Brandon Drury’s two-run shot. Rodon, who was fantastic in his previous start at Detroit, was baffling on Monday. He needed 28 pitches to survive the first inning, and his fastball to Drury–pitch number 24–left the slugger little choice but to deposit it into the bleachers.

Rodon never got untracked, and after a 40-minute delay to fire up the stadium lights preceded by a 10-minute delay when home plate umpire Marvin Hudson twisted his knee trying to track a foul pop, he was left to be philosophical.

“It was odd, right? Poor guy behind home plate tonight, who knows what he did to his knee, but hopefully he’s all right. Then the light thing. It was kind of an odd game today, right? A little different,” Rodon said.

Rodon went just four innings, and departed with the Giants down, 5-0.

The Giants’ comeback that fell a run short started in the fourth with Joc Pederson’s homer that trimmed the deficit to 5-2. In the eighth, Austin Slater knocked in two runs with a base hit, and J.D. Davis followed with an RBI single that scored Thairo Estrada.

Padres’ closer Nick Martinez was summoned to get a four-out save and allowed both run-scoring hits. But he recovered, retiring Austin Wynns to end the eighth, and Tommy La Stella, Wade and Wilmer Flores consecutively in the ninth.

“All of a sudden, the eighth inning feels like the ninth inning and to have to come out and recreate that adrenaline again in the ninth is just another something that really he hasn’t been through,” manager Bob Melvin said of Martinez, who has supplanted the struggling Josh Hader in the San Diego bullpen.

The Giants are 10-14 in August, and a season-worst four games below .500. But here’s what’s even more disheartening: the Padres, one of two teams the Giants need to catch, are 13-13, and would be feeling the heat given all their splashy, in-season additions if the Giants were applying pressure.

On Tuesday, Logan Webb is matched against the Padres’ Blake Snell in the middle-game of the three-game set.

What’s Wrong With The Yankees? More Like What’s Right With The A’s in 4-1 win

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By Morris Phillips

OAKLAND–Mark Kotsay promised enthusiasm would be his greatest currency in what has proved to be a trying, first season as manager of the A’s.

On Saturday, Adrian Martinez matched that enthusiasm and carried into Sunday’s series finale with the Yankees.

The 25-year old rookie shut down the AL East-leading Yankees into the sixth inning, and the A’s made two, first inning runs stand up in their 4-1 win. Martinez, making his fourth appearance in Oakland this season each time summoned from Triple-A Las Vegas was impressive, mixing pitches and changing speeds to fluster the New York lineup for a second straight day.

“When I saw Adrian last night, he had a big smile on his face,” Kotsay said. “This kid just seems to feed off big environments or the Triple-A numbers don’t show how he’s able to go out and perform here. He did that today against one of the best lineups in the league.”

Aaron Judge, the Major League leader in WAR (7.4) and home runs (49) was transformed into Martinez’ poster child, striking out twice, both times on just three pitches. Judge finished the day 0 for 4.

“Got a lot of swings and misses on the changeup and threw strikes with his fastball,” Kotsay said.

The win didn’t prevent the A’s (48-81) from mathematical elimination from the AL West crown (the earliest they’ve been eliminated in Oakland history) but it did open the door to the possibility that Martinez could earn a regular turn in the rotation down the stretch. His door was opened by Kotsay’s decision to move Zach Logue to the bullpen.

“I’m going to keep on working and continuing to work will hopefully allow me to continue to be with the team,” Martinez said with the aid of an interpreter.

Meanwhile the Yankees ended a week of bi-coastal ups and downs highlighted by desperately-needed wins over the Mets on Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by 18 innings of one-hit offense against A’s pitching starting with the final innings on Friday night. Yankees fans and manager Aaron Boone glossed over the five-game win streak the Gothams squeezed in and fretted over their one-series win (Mets, two games) in their last eight series.

“We should be able to put together more offense,” Boone said. “We got to if we’re going to be the kind of team we expect to be.”

A’s 20-GAME WIN STREAK REUNION: The 2002 A’s might not be the biggest fans of “Moneyball” the movie dramatizing the team and the organization with the 20-game streak being the film’s dramatic apex, but they are fans of each other and what they accomplished.

“I tell people this all the time, and all of us are in the same boat, we all won the lifetime lottery ticket,” said Rick Peterson, that team’s pitching coach.

Approximately half of the 2002 squad and many of the coaches were present for the reunion prior to Sunday’s game and the invitation-only meet-and-greet. Manager Art Howe, players Dave Justice and Scott Hatteberg, among the biggest personalities from the movie spoke to the assembled. Justice voiced his displeasure with how Howe was portrayed in the movie.

One of the team’s biggest stars, Miguel Tejada who departed for Baltimore after the 2003 season, was especially jazzed to be in the Coliseum and revisit his professional roots.

“This is the team that gave me the opportunity to come from the Dominican,” he said. “I played my first game in this stadium. Walking here makes me proud.”

Cory Lidle, who died tragically in a 2006 plane crash in which he was the pilot, and Jeremy Giambi, who committed suicide less than a year ago, were fondly remembered.