The Giants' longest road trip of the 2023 MLB season came to a disheartening close with their 5-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Monday at Comerica Park -- the final matchup of a grueling 11-game gauntlet that ended with six straight losses.
San Francisco's offense as a whole struggled mightily during the second half of the trip, but Monday's starting pitcher Ross Stripling knows a stretch like this can be especially taxing -- and new -- for the team's slew of young talent as they try to prove themselves in the big leagues.
"I think it's on veterans to go to some of the young guys who are maybe scuffling and say, 'This is part of it. It's the big leagues. We'll turn the corner as a team.' And just say this is who we've been all year and understand that we have struggled," Stripling told reporters after tossing his second straight quality start in Monday's loss.
"Like I said, good times have always been around the corner, so let's assume that's going to be us again. We're too good, and we've already proved it. We can hang with the best teams. So good things are coming for us -- we just have to trust that they're coming."
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Stripling, who surrendered three earned runs across six innings Monday, said the Giants' 11 straight days with a road game following the MLB All-Star break was one of the toughest trips a player could have in the majors. Heading back home to Oracle Park, he hopes the Giants of all ages can return to their winning ways.
While veterans like Joc Pederson and Wilmer Flores have remained hot across San Francisco's sour six-game stretch, some of the team's youth has struggled. Casey Schmitt has reached base just twice in 17 plate appearances during the current losing streak, and Patrick Bailey is 2-for-19. Ebbs and flows are a part of baseball, and Stripling wants to remind the Giants' youngsters San Francisco has what it takes to turn things around.
It will start at the plate, where the Giants have hit just .156 as a team across this skid. On Monday, they struck out 15 times. Manager Gabe Kapler told reporters after the game that while Flores and Pederson have been "bright spots," the lineup needs to figure things out as one.
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"We all know that we're in this together, and we're going to have to find ways to put together better at-bats and have those at-bats end with the walks and hits and runs that we're capable of," Kapler said.
Everyone in the Giants' clubhouse knows what the team can achieve -- it's just a matter of maintaining it. Winning seven games in a row doesn't matter much if you lose the next six, and the longest losing streak of the season has forced the Giants from 1.5 games back of first place in the NL West to 4.5 back.
It won't be a happy flight back to the Bay, but the Giants certainly are looking forward to getting things back on track.
"Hopefully we can right the ship as a team and get it going here back at home," Stripling said.
