What we learned as Giants’ woes continue in 6-4 loss to D-backs

What we learned as Giants’ woes continue in 6-4 loss to D-backs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO — A night after the Arizona Diamondbacks bullpen nearly blew a huge lead against the Giants, it took just two batters for their first reliever of the night to give up a two-run homer.

The bad news for the Giants? That was their second hit … and it came in the seventh inning.

A few hours after the Chicago Cubs threw a combined no-hitter, Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen took one through six, leading the road team to a 6-4 win at Oracle Park. The Giants dropped their fourth straight series, but it could have been worse Wednesday.

Gallen was removed after that inning because of his pitch count, and it took just two pitches for Tyler Fitzgerald to get the Giants their first hit. He bounced a Kevin Ginkel offering up the middle and LaMonte Wade Jr. followed with a two-run blast, cutting the deficit in half. But the good times would be short-lived.

Camilo Doval had a messy seventh and the lineup couldn’t complete another comeback attempt in the ninth. The Giants fell 8 1/2 games back in the NL-wild card race, but that’s the least of their problems right now. They’re four games under .500, and given how difficult their schedule is the rest of the way it’s hard to see them even getting close to finishing with an even record this season.

No Shot At History

Gallen had a very strange night. With two outs in the second, he walked Luis Matos, Marco Luciano and Brett Wisely, the three young hitters at the bottom of the Giants’ lineup. He got out of that jam with a strikeout of Curt Casali and then cruised through the sixth.

The four total walks and deep counts ran his pitch count up. He needed 100 pitches to get through the bottom of the sixth, and Ginkel warmed up after he issued a leadoff walk to Mike Yastrzemski. It was an easy decision for the Diamondbacks to replace Gallen, who will be pitching in a postseason series in a month. He struck out eight and just about matched Chicago’s Shota Imanaga, who threw seven no-hit innings earlier in the day at Wrigley Field but was pulled after 95 pitches.

The game of baseball has changed quite a bit since Tim Lincecum threw a 148-pitch no-hitter 11 years ago.

Short Song

Hayden Birdsong was in trouble from the start, walking the first two batters of the night and giving up an early run on Josh Bell’s single. Bell nearly broke the game open an inning later when two more walks and a throwing error by Birdsong loaded the bases. After a mound meeting, Bell took a first-pitch fastball to the track in left, missing a grand slam by a few feet.

Birdsong would last just one more frame. He needed 77 pitches to get through three, walking five and allowing three hits and two earned runs. The command has started to become an issue for the rookie, who consistently has long innings. He has now walked 35 batters in 52 innings.

Late Night Splash

Wade finally got the Giants on the board with his sixth homer of the year, a deep drive into McCovey Cove. The Splash Hit was the 104th all-time and the sixth of his career. It was the second by a Giant this year; Patrick Bailey put one in the water against the Diamondbacks in April.

With the six Splash Hits, Wade moved into a tie for fourth all-time behind Barry Bonds (35), Brandon Belt (10) and Pablo Sandoval (eight). Last year, Wade got the 100th Splash Hit in the ballpark’s history.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast