Tag: San Francisco Giants

Last place clubs put on a show in Phillies 12-9 win over the Giants

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San Francisco Giants’ Pablo Sandoval scores as Philadelphia Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp stands by during the ninth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Mathew Sumner)

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–All the neat stuff that last place clubs rarely get to do, the Giants and Phillies got to do to each other on Saturday night.

A pinch-hit grand slam, a leadoff inside-the-park home run, a seven-run rally for the winners, and a oh-so-close, five-run rally in the ninth for the losers highlighted the Phillies 12-9 win over the Giants. The fans got into it, appreciating the Giants’ effort in narrowing a 12-4 deficit, and getting the tying run to the plate with the game’s last batter.

Small victories for struggling clubs, no doubt, but enough to, briefly, make the home fans forget that the Giants fell a staggering, 39 games behind the first place Dodgers with the loss.

“You love the fight,” manager Bruce Bochy said of his club. “And you hate to score nine runs and not win the ballgame.”

What was a well-played and competitive game through five innings, relinquished all of that when the Phillies got a pinch-hit, grand slam from Ty Kelly to cap their seven-run sixth. Kelly, from Tracy, got a nice ovation from his friends and family in attendance after lofting a Cody Gearrin pitch into the right field arcade.

“If you make a mistake like they did tonight, he doesn’t try to overpower, he just tries to put the head on it and that’s what he did tonight,” Phillies’ manager Pete Mackanin said of Kelly.

Kelly pinch-hit for Adam Morgan, who threw one pitch and win the game. Jerad Eickhoff started for the Phillies and endured a rough outing. Mackanin pulled Eickhoff with a runner aboard in the fifth, but Morgan retired Brandon Crawford to quell the threat.

 

 

Bullpen melt down: Giants see fifth inning lead evaporate in loss to the A’s

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Oakland Athletics’ Chad Pinder, left, scores past San Francisco Giants catcher Nick Hundley during the eighth inning of a baseball game in Oakland, Calif., Monday, July 31, 2017. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

By Morris Phillips

OAKLAND–A 3-2 lead in the fifth inning isn’t nirvana, but for the Giants on Monday night in Oakland it was as good as would get. A leaky bullpen took it from there, offering free passes and hittable pitches to an A’s team itching for an opportunity.

If you’re Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy, where can you turn?

In the opener of the Bay Bridge Series, the first three relievers summoned by Bochy allowed at least one run. Josh Osich walked a pair of batters, and loaded the bases while recording just one out. George Kontos followed, and his third pitch was grooved. Marcus Semien sent Kontos’ fastball in the middle of the plate beyond the centerfield wall for a grand slam.

Two innings later, Kyle Crick and Hunter Strickland offered Oakland the cherry on top, and they gladly accepted. Matt Joyce singled and Khris Davis walked courtesy of Crick. Then Strickland allowed a two-run, two-out knock to Ryon Healy.

The final damage? The Giants’ pen allowed six runs on five hits, including one game-altering grand slam, and six walks. Six walks?

“In the major leagues that shouldn’t happen and that’s what did us in,” Bochy said of the walks. “Of course the grand slam, that made it a steep uphill climb for us. But we have to control the ball better. We have to get better in the bullpen.”

Four games into the worst road trip in a season of bad road trips, the Giants’ bullpen has allowed 11 earned runs in nine innings, lost three times, and recorded no saves despite four opportunities. That’s bad.

By comparison, the A’s bullpen, depleted by a trade and John Axford’s release, has strung together 11 1/3 innings of scoreless relief in the last two days. In that same span, the Giants have a pair of painful losses. From the Giants’ perspective, it’s not a good comparison.

Four consecutive losses have saddled the Giants with baseball’s worst record, at least for now, worse than the Phillies. The Giants probably won’t lose 100 games, becoming the second club in the San Francisco era to do so, but it’s a possibility.

If so, something has to give. General manager Bobby Evans spoke last week of retaining the team’s core, in part due to the numerous, prohibitive contracts, and in part due to the accomplishments of that core. But that same group has baseball’s worst record since last season’s All Star break, more than a full season of baseball.

Needless to say, tough decisions are looming.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No offense, but…: Giants lineup underwhelms again in 3-2 loss to the Twins

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–With little margin for error, even one of the NL’s hottest pitchers can find himself in a bind.

Jeff Samardzija came into Saturday’s game against the Twins on one of the most impressive runs of his decade-long, big league career, becoming the first pitcher since 1900 to strikeout as many as 59 batters, while walking only one, accomplished in the time frame of his previous seven starts.  The Giants’ pricey 2016 free agent acquisition has been both dominating and consistent–without the results to show for it.  While Samardzija’s been dealing by any measure, wins and losses must be excluded. The Shark’s 2-8 on the season, and only 2-3 during his unprecedented run.

In a matchup with the Twins’ Jose Berrios, a 2012 first round pick, Samardzija knew coming in runs would be at a premium. And once Giants’ hitters started flailing at Berrios’ confounding curveballs on Saturday, that premium number grew smaller.

With run support the elephant in the room, plus the presence of Berrios, the pressure was on. And the Giants didn’t respond well, falling to Minnesota, 3-2, their 31st loss in 37 games this season in which they scored three runs or less.

“Occasionally you’re going to give up three runs, maybe four, but you have to pick these pitchers up sometimes,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “We have a hard time, especially here at home. I know this is more of a pitchers’ park but still that shouldn’t happen.”

Leaving the Giants’ starter high and dry has been a reoccurring theme in 2017, and even more recently. In the team’s last eight home games, the Giants have been shutout three times, and scored just once in the homestand finale loss to the Nationals on May 31.

On Saturday, Brandon Belt started the scoring with a splash hit in the first inning, but it was the current San Francisco treat, a solo shot.

In the fourth, the Twins’ Kennys Vargas tied with a rocket off Samardzija on a 2-2 pitch with two outs. The 457-foot home run registered among the longest hit by Minnesota this season. Samardzija would say afterwards, he wanted his pitch in on Vargas’ hands. Instead the pitch was at the knees–not really bad location, but it allowed the powerful Vargas to extend his arms.

In the fifth, Samardzija allowed the one walk he gave up all day to Robbie Grossman, among the AL leaders in on-base percentage.  The Giants’ starter threw three consecutive balls to open the at-bat, only to see Grossman draw the walk on a full count.

Afterwards, Samardzija would admit the one walk issued affected him in subsequent pitches, the second of which turned out to be the game-winner for the Twins, a two-run homer off the bat of Brian Dozier.

Giants’ hitters over the final five innings would attempt to tie it with a pair of runs, but only Buster Posey’s ground out with two runners aboard scored a run. Brandon Crawford and Hunter Pence, hitting fifth and sixth in the San Francisco lineup, would both strike out with runners on in the third and again in the fifth, after Posey’s fielder’s choice made the score 3-2.

Pence and Crawford both would finish 0 for 4 with three strikeouts, bringing scrutiny upon both in the postgame press conference.  Crawford is in a 9 for 50 (.180) slide over his last 14 games, and Pence has only three hits (3 for 22) in the week since he came off the disabled list.

“That makes it tough, when you’re in the heart of the order and you have a couple of guys struggling, that makes it tough to score runs,” Bochy said of the pair. “Those are the guys you lean on. The third inning, that’s the difference in the game.”

The Giants look to avoid getting swept at home on Sunday with Matt Cain taking the mound in a matchup with Nik Turley, making his big league debut.

OLD FACES, NEW PLACE: Ehire Adrianza, the former Giants’ utility man from 2015 and 2016, was given his unconditional release by the Brewers in February, and then signed a minor league deal with the Twins. Adrianza hit .303 in spring training, and .297 for the Twins since returning from the disabled list from an oblique injury early in May.  He started at shortstop on Saturday, and was 0 for 4.

Chris Heston, now exactly two years removed from his no-hitter for the Giants and no longer an emerging prospect at 29, just signed with the Twins this week. Heston started the season with the Mariners, and was released by the Dodgers without making a major league appearance.

 

 

Not that guy, again: Kershaw beats the Giants for the 20th time in his career

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–When the pitcher of the decade, if not the pitcher of this generation, resides in your division, there’s nowhere to hide.  And trust me, if the Giants were to huddle like second graders on an expansive, tree-lined playground, hiding from Clayton Kershaw would be discussed.

The three-time Cy Young Award winner took his every fifth-day turn on Wednesday at AT&T Park, his favorite place to pitch, looking to beat the Giants for the 20th time in 38 career starts.  And while Kershaw didn’t have the Giants beat just by showing up, he did have all the help he would need after the game’s fifth batter, and before the Dodgers’ ace even threw his first pitch of the day.

“With Clayton, when you get four runs or more, the record speaks for itself,” manager Dave Roberts said of the Dodgers two-run first inning, on the way to an easy, 6-1 win. “He smells blood, and he’s such a competitor. And we talk about going for the jugular, and likes to put guys away.”

Kershaw’s career ERA at AT&T Park was a ridiculousy-microscopic 1.36 entering Wednesday’s matinee, and it got lower.  Yasmani Grandal doubled home a pair of runs off Giants’ starter Johnny Cueto in the first inning, and that’s all Kershaw would need after he didn’t disappoint, throwing seven shutout innings, allowing three hits and no walks.

Leading 6-0 in the seventh, Kershaw called it a day, giving way to relievers Pedro Baez and Sergio Romo, who allowed the Giants an Edwin Nunez ninth-inning home run to breakup the shutout.   The Giants’ five-game win streak and opposing starter, Johnny Cueto’s unblemished record at home (1-0 in three starts, all Giants’ wins) disappeared in the process.

“It’s a fine line between winning and losing, and they got the key hits,” manager Bruce Bochy said.  “And you’re a pitch from getting out of inning a couple of times, and it didn’t happen.  But the bats were quiet. Kershaw was his usual good self, and we couldn’t mount any offense today.”

Grandal’s RBI double to open the scoring came on a second, 0-2 pitch with two outs, down and off the plate.  In the fifth, Yasiel Puig struck, knocking in a pair on a 1-2 pitch with two outs to make it 5-0.  Those two jabs, along with Kershaw’s stinginess, were enough to upset Cueto, but in addition, the Giants’ starter felt Grandal was stealing signs peering in from second base after his first inning double.

Chris Taylor struck out looking to end the first inning, with Grandal allegedly stealing signs.  But that didn’t matter much in the third, when Cueto brushed back Grandal with a high, hard one that wasn’t orchestrated in that it flew past catcher Buster Posey and to the backstop, allowing Chase Utley to race home from third for the Dodgers’ third run.

Both benches cleared after the run scored, but things didn’t get out of hand, nor did the umpires see fit to eject anyone.  When Grandal came to bat in the third, apologies were issued first hand, and Kershaw and the game moved on.

“He said, ‘Sorry for the misunderstanding. Let’s just move on,” Cueto recalled.  “I’m not going to use that as an excuse, but they were relaying signs.”

“Whether we were or we weren’t, obviously he was displeased and let us know,” Roberts said.

The Giants resume play on Friday in St. Louis with Matt Moore getting the ball for that one.

 

Padres storm past Giants at AT&T 12-4

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San Francisco Giants’ Brandon Belt runs to first base after hitting a two-run single off San Diego Padres’ Jhoulys Chacin in the fifth inning of a baseball game Saturday, April 29, 2017, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-Hector Sanchez spent some quality seasons playing in San Francisco, but now he comes back to AT&T Park with his new team.

Sanchez walked with the bases loaded, helping the San Diego Padres to a 12-4 comeback victory over the San Francisco Giants before a crowd of 42,862, the 502nd consecutive regular season sellout at AT&T Park.

Ryan Schimpf drove in the first of the eight runs that the Padres scored in the inning, as Yangervis Solarte singled to get the ball rolling.

Austin Hedges then tied up the game with a single off his own, and then after Erick Aybar walked to load the bases, Sanchez walked to drive in the eventual game-winning run for the Padres.

Miguel Margot drove in the next run, as he singled to right field to score Hedges and then after Cory Spangenberg hit into a force play to score Aybar, Wil Myers hit a Neil Ramirez deep into the left field bleachers for his sixth home run of the season.

Despite the fact that the Giants narrowed down to 9-4 in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Padres extended their lead up to 12-4 with one swing of the bat, as Allen Cordoba hit a three-run home run in the top of the seventh inning.

Aybar drove in the first run for the Padres in the top of the fourth inning, as he singled to Schimpf, who singled with one out in the inning.

Unfortunately for the Padres, they were unable to score anymore runs in the inning, as Buster Posey and Joe Panik teamed up for a pickoff play to get Austin Hedges at the plate. Posey originally threw to Panik to attempt to get Aybar at second base; however, Aybar beat the throw at second base. Panik then threw home to get Hedges trying to steal home.

Nunez tied up the game in the bottom of the fifth inning, as he singled in Conor Gillaspie from second base. Gillaspie led off the inning with a double off of Padres starter Jhoulys Chacin. It was the second hit of the night for Gillaspie, who singled off of Chacin in the bottom of the second inning.

After Drew Stubbs popped out for the first out of the inning, Kelby Tomlinson singled to advance Nunez to second base and then Panik walked to load the bases and then Brandon Belt singled up the middle to give the Giants the lead.

Cain pitched five innings, allowing just one run, on six hits, not walking a batter and striking out seven. Despite not getting the win, Cain lowered his earned run average on the season down to 2.30.

Chacin also pitched five innings, allowing three runs on five hits, while walking two and striking out six.

NOTES: Ty Blach looks for his first win of the season, as he takes the mound in the home stand finale on Sunday afternoon for the Giants. Blach will be opposed by fellow left-hander Clayton Richard, who is looking to evening his record at 3-3.

Brandon Crawford was reinstated from the bereavement list, and was placed on the 10-day disabled list (retroactive to April 26) with a right groin strain.

San Jose Giants Infielder Dillion Dobson tied a Giants team record on Friday night, as he hit three home runs in a game. Since becoming the Giants single-A team in 1988, Dobson is just the third player ever to hit three home runs in the same game. The two players are Adam Witter, who hit three home runs in the same game in 2007 and Sanchez, who did it in 2011.

Giants are beat up and the Dodgers are ascending, how does S.F. stem the tide?

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By Morris Phillips

AP photo: San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner delivers against the Atlanta Braves Sunday at AT&T Park Mad Bum’s last win

SAN FRANCSICO–On the same day the Giants banged out four home runs, four triples, and won 13-4 behind Madison Bumgarner, the Dodgers may have played more impressively.

In Los Angeles, the Dodgers pushed across the only run of the day in the eighth inning to back the pitching of starter Brock Stewart, and relievers Jesse Chavez, Grant Dayton and Joe Blanton—four guys who didn’t have definitive roles on the roster when the season began—and beat the Cubs, the team with the big league’s best record.

On a weekend the Giants played the worst team in baseball, and the Dodgers played the best, the Giants fared no better than their rivals, winning twice and losing once. After the Dodgers fell 8-1 to the Rockies in Denver on Monday, and the Giants enjoyed a day off, Los Angeles’ lead in the NL West sits at a 1 ½ games, so far a number the Dodgers are doing a lot more to protect than the six-game lead the Giants held during the All-Star break.

On the surface the teams couldn’t be closer in achievements and results—both have scored 586 runs this season, both have allowed 524—but this week shows that the Dodgers have clearly been the more impressive club, whether or not injured ace Clayton Kershaw finds his way back to the mound before the season ends.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Giants fell in Los Angeles with both their aces, Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto, on the mound. On Thursday, the Giants rebounded behind Matt Moore’s near no-hitter. Again, advantage to the Dodgers.

So what can the Giants do to close the gap?

Most importantly, they can’t blink now. After Wednesday, the Giants play 17 of their next 24 games on the road. Injuries are mounting; reliever Derek Law was placed on the disabled list, Brandon Belt is battling a stiff neck, and Hunter Pence hasn’t really been healthy all year. Since returning from his two-month stint on the disabled list July 30, Pence has hit just one home run. Now, Pence is battling a hamstring issue–the classic injury for a body forced to compensate for nicks in other places—and missed the previous two games.

Also this week, Jake Peavy and Gregor Blanco landed on the disabled list.

If the Giants can stay within striking distance, over the next 26 games, they then get the final six of the regular season at home, and the final three against the Dodgers (September 19-21). The trick is getting there, and a deficit of 2 ½ games heading into the final week may be the most realistic to overcome. That means the Giants must play no worse than one game off the pace of the Dodgers over that 26 games, with the last three in Dodgers Stadium.

It won’t be easy.  For one, the Giants don’t have a definitive fifth starter with Peavy on the DL, and Albert Suarez suited to long relief, as a guy who couldn’t get through the opposing lineup a second time in his start on Saturday. All of a sudden, Matt Cain is back in the picture, scheduled to come off the disabled list for a start Friday in Chicago.

Cain shut down the Cubs at AT&T the first time around, but how will he fare in Wrigley Field? Cain’s ERA in six road starts this season is over six. His ERA in three August starts before he was shut down was 7.24. Neither number bodes well for Cain’s viability on Friday.

So who can the Giants depend on with the team sliding and their collective health deteriorating? At the top of the list are leadoff hitter Denard Span and Joe Panik, who homered twice in the same game on Sunday, the first time he’s achieved that feat in his major league career. Span’s hit .346 in August, boosting his overall average to .277.

Jarrett Parker was promoted and replaced Pence in right field on Sunday. If Pence needs more time, Parker becomes the starter. With Parker it’s big (nine extra base hits, 19 walks) or insignificant (38 strikeouts in 114 official at-bats) further highlighting the tenuous position of the club as a whole.

With Law removed from the bullpen, someone else needs to get hot. If it’s hot as Law was (most recent 11 innings, 0.79 ERA) then it will be significant. Will Smith, Sergio Romo and Hunter Strickland are the likeliest candidates to heat up, but if one of those three falls off, that could be just as telling.

On Tuesday, the Giants welcome the Diamondbacks with Zach Greinke facing Johnny Cueto in a matchup of double-digit winners at 7:15pm.

 

Giants Minor League Spotlight: RHP Sam Coonrod is a fast rising star

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Coonrod 2

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Right-handed pitcher Sam Coonrod is ranked the fifth best player in the Giants farm system, and Sam is having a very good 2016 season.

Coonrod started the year off in San Jose in the high Class-A California League. That assignment had him right on schedule for player development as he had spent 2014 the in short-season rookie league and 2015 at Class-A Augusta.

By June 12th, Coonrod had made 11 starts for San Jose and had posted a record of 5-3 with 1.98 ERA. That outstanding start earned him a promotion to the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels in mid-June.

Since being promoted to Richmond, Coonrod has continued to be successful. He has made 10 starts and has posted a record of 4-2 with a 2.80 ERA. In 61.0-innings pitched, he has 19 runs (14 earned) off 45 hits. Coonrod has allowed just five home runs. The one area that needs immediate improvement is his walk to strike out ratio. He has walked 29 and struck out 34 batters in those 10 starts for the Flying Squirrels. Coonrod has a WHIP of 1.21 and a batting average against of .209.

The 23-year old Coonrod is 6-foot-2 and weights 225 pounds. He was selected by the Giants in the fifth round (148th overall) of the 2014 MLB Draft out of Southern Illinois.

The fastball is is Coonrod’s number one pitch. He throws it in the 91-96 mph range with good command. His second pitch is a plus-slider that hits the mid-80’s. The change-up is Coonrod’s third pitch and it is a work in progress. He will need to master that change-up in order to remain a candidate to be a starter.

Coonrod’s accelerated progress to the Double-A level has moved up the timeline for him to make it to the major leagues. Based on his current success, fans should expect to see Sam Coonrod in a San Francisco Giants uniform sometime in 2017. That would mean he would start the year in Triple-A at Sacramento and move up the show sometime after the All-Star Break and no later than the September call-ups.

Nats strike first, getting past the Giants in a meeting of division leaders

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Nats celebrate win

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Joe Panik returned to the lineup, and the Giants had an opportunity to become only the second big league club to reach 60 wins, but Tanner Roark and the Nationals kept the NL West leaders out of the win column for at least one more night.

Roark improved to 4-0 lifetime against the Giants, pitching seven innings, allowing four hits and a run, in Washington’s 4-2 win in the battle of division leaders.  Roark escaped numerous jams as the Giants failed to come up with a hit with runners in scoring position, going 0 for 9 on the night.

Johnny Cueto suffered through a lengthy second inning, in which allowed three runs, all with two outs, and was denied the opportunity to grab his 14th win of the season. Cueto settled down, and got through the fifth inning, but his outing was tied for the shortest this season. The Giants’ ace has now failed to win any of his three starts after the All-Star break.

The Giants attempted to rally in the ninth inning, loading the bases with one out, and knocking Washington closer Jonathon Papelbon from the game, but a pair of relievers came on to retire Denard Span and Angel Pagan swinging to end the game.

“We could’ve used a big hit there to really pick this club when you’re in a streak like this, but they got out of it,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “We just couldn’t quite finish it there in the ninth. It would’ve done a lot for the club.”

The idle Dodgers moved within two games of the NL West lead as the Giants’ cushion has evaporated in a streak in which they’ve lost 10 of 12. The Giants couldn’t respond on the field Thursday, but they did consummate the only trade of the day with the trade deadline approaching on Monday.

The Giants acquired infielder Eduardo Nunez from the Twins in exchange for minor league pitcher Adalberto Mejia. The 29-year old Nunez was named an All-Star for the first time, hitting .300 this season while leading the AL in stolen bases with 26. Nunez is expected to join the team on Saturday.

Panik returned to the active roster and batted third, but went hitless in four at-bats. The Giants’ top four hitters—Span, Pagan, Panik and Buster Posey—combined to go 1 for 17 with a walk. After decent offensive outputs on Monday and Tuesday, the Giants’ bats have been quiet for two straight games.

Conor Gillaspie had a pair of hits for the Giants, but either Gillaspie or infielder Ramiro Pena figure to lose their roster spot with Hunter Pence and Ehire Adrianza poised to return from the disabled list, with one or both expected back this weekend. GM Bobby Evans confirmed that the Giants are still in talks to acquire help for the bullpen, with San Diego’s Andrew Cashner and Tampa Bay’s Alex Colome prominent among the numerous names that might be available.

On Friday, the Giants have Jeff Samardzija on the pitchers’ mound in a matchup with Nationals’ ace Max Scherzer at 7:15pm.

Giants’ Cueto earns his 13th win, erasing memory of Tuesday’s tough loss with complete game effort

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Cue

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–The snapshot of the 2016 baseball season after 87 games will show the San Francisco Giants on top and Johnny Cueto’s handprints all over the accomplishment.

After beating the Rockies Wednesday night, 5-1, the Giants have surpassed the Cubs for the best record in either league as Cueto collected another complete game and improved his record to 13-1. As a resume for Cueto to be named the National League starter in the All-Star Game on Tuesday, the veteran pitcher couldn’t have made a better case.

“You look at his record, his numbers, what a great first half he’s had,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “It’s obvious we’re pulling it to happen.”

“It would mean a lot because it would be the first time that I would ever pitch in an All-Star Game,” Cueto said through his interpreter. “And I want to pitch.”

But not hit, as in the Home Run Derby on Monday in San Diego. When asked about participating in that contest as Madison Bumgarner expressed interest, Cueto, possibly thinking of his 118 pitches thrown Wednesday, or his 0 for 26 hitless streak that ended on Wednesday, he quickly said, “Hell no.”

Whether Cueto surpassed his limit of energy spent against the Rockies or not, he clearly asked for this one. Cueto saw the Giants’ bullpen stain Bumgarner’s excellent effort on Tuesday and hinted that it had been a while since his last complete game effort—in May versus the Padres—a feat he might chase against the Rockies.

After throwing 110 pitches through eight innings, Bochy elected to send the $130 million free agent signee out to finish the job in the ninth.   And Cueto delivered, retiring D.J. LeMahieu, Giants’ killer Nolan Arenado and Carlos Gonzales with just eight more pitches. As the team gathered to exchange handshakes before leaving the field, Cueto was honored as all of the team’s infielders, at Brandon Belt’s behest, tucked their caps under their left arms just as the pitcher does while leaving the mound after each inning.

The complete game win was the 16th of Cueto’s career and fourth of the season.

“I would say he seems to have an extra gear,” Buster Posey said of his battery mate. “I think he does a nice job of pacing himself at the start of the game to where he has enough in the tank to finish it off.”

The Giants won for the 37th time in their previous 52 games, enough to knock the Cubs off their perch as MLB’s team with the best record for the first time this season. The Cubs fell to the Reds on Wednesday, their 12th loss in their previous 17 games.

Posey backed Cueto with his 11th home run in the sixth. Brandon Crawford had a pair of RBI, and Brandon Belt kicked off the scoring with an RBI triple in the first. Belt’s effort no doubt supported his quest to be voted in as the final invitee for the All-Star Game, an online contest that pits him against Colorado’s Trevor Story, Pittsburgh’s Sterling Marte and two others.

Giants don’t hit, pitch or catch the ball in meltdown loss to the A’s

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Pena hurt

By Morris Phillips

OAKLAND–The whole process of going from red hot to hot under the collar took 6 2/3 innings for the Giants. At the conclusion, the team’s ability to execute the basics, starting with catching the ball, were in question.

Talk about a precipitous drop.

On Tuesday, the Giants led 4-1 in the 6th inning, and were in position to even their series with their Bay rival, the A’s, and capture their 14th win in their last 17 contests. Instead, the Giants’ bullpen imploded in what would become a 13-11 loss. Then the defense folded its’ tents in the first three plus innings on Wednesday, as the Giants went on to lose 7-1.

Along the way, Wednesday’s starter, Jake Peavy could be seen asking anyone capable of forming an answer, “What just happened?”

Well, what happened was the Giants allowed the A’s 19 runs—on just 14 hits—while contributing seven walks and four errors. A streak where that many guys cross the plate in such a short period doesn’t happen once a season, maybe once every couple of seasons. Somehow, given all that went wrong, a bunch of the focus landed on the leaky defense.

“That’s one thing we were doing well—catching the ball,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “You deal with streaks where you have trouble scoring runs, but one thing we have to do is consistently catch the ball.”

The first of the errors came with the Giants leading 4-3 on Tuesday. Marcus Semien’s ground ball to third could have been the final out of the inning, and preserved the Giants’ lead. But Conor Gillaspie air mailed his throw to first allowing Semien to reach, and baserunner Stephen Vogt to advance to third. Two batters later, the A’s would take their first lead of the night on Billy Butler’s two RBI single.

On Wednesday, the defense got so bad, Peavy could be seen cursing and muttering almost until Bochy relieved him with the Giants trailing 7-0. In that inning, Angel Pagan had a bead on Semien’s drive to the left field warning track, but then the ball glanced off Pagan’s glove and Semien ended up at third. Peavy lost it at that point, then allowed an RBI double to Billy Burns and a RBI single to Coco Crisp before he was relieved.

At that point, the Giants had already suffered a collision between infielder Ramiro Pena and outfielder Mac Williamson on a ball that dropped for a three-base error, and put Pena on the disabled list with the former Yankee expected to be unavailable for at least a week. Two batters later, Williamson appeared to have Jed Lowrie’s home run ball in his glove, but saw the ball go out when it bounced out of the outfielder’s glove.

New addition, Reuben Tejada, got the start at third in place of the injured Matt Duffy, and he then muffed Josh Reddick’s foul pop. Reddick then drew a walk to extend the inning.

“We didn’t handle a popup, no question it changed the game. It made Jake work a lot harder. He was in a good groove there. Then we drop another popup. We just got to clean it up. That’s the one thing we were doing very well,” Bochy said.

The Giants have dropped three straight to the A’s after winning 13 of 15. Clearly, part of the problem was a stressful, laborious, but successful series over the weekend with the Phillies. That definitely took a lot out of the Giants. Another factor is the A’s are having their best stretch of the season, after falling into last place in the AL West and more than 10 games below .500. The A’s have won six of seven and seen their offense pick up dramatically during the streak.

A’s starter Sean Manaea came off the disabled list and pitched into the sixth inning on Wednesday, shutting the Giants down by scattering six hits and a walk allowed. Manaea is one of three rookie starters the Giants will face in this series, with Dillon Overton scheduled to start for Oakland on Thursday.

Madison Bumgarner, poised to become the first starter to hit in an American League Park since Ken Brett in 1976, will get the start for the Giants.