OAKLAND - Santiago Casilla, the man blamed for just about all of last season's bullpen issues, was in the opposing bullpen Monday. The night's game was a reminder that Casilla was far from the only culprit in 2016.
Two relievers combined to give up four runs in the sixth and two more gave up late insurance runs in an 8-5 loss to the A's. Because the Phillies won for the fifth straight game, the Giants officially have the worst record in Major League Baseball.
The bullpen wasted no time blowing a 3-2 lead. Josh Osich loaded the bases before departing with one out in the sixth. George Kontos left a fastball right over the heart of the plate and Marcus Semien crushed it to left for a grand slam. Four Giants relievers -- Kyle Crick and Hunter Strickland also saw action -- combined to give up six earned runs on five hits and six walks.
Yikes. Anyway, here are five takeaways ...
-- Matt Cain gave up two runs in the first on two walks and a pair of hits, and he got an early visit from Dave Righetti. Cain managed to five-and-dive, though. Those two were the only runs he allowed.
-- Carlos Moncrief picked up his first career hit in the fourth when he beat out a grounder for an RBI infield single that gave the Giants a 3-2 lead. In the seventh, he lined a 3-2 fastball the other way for a double. Moncrief then got caught in a rundown on a grounder back to the pitcher.
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-- Kontos gets the tough assignments, and in past years he handled them with relative ease. This year has been different, particularly lately. Over his last two starts Kontos has inherited five runners and all have scored.
-- Moncrief, a former minor league pitcher, apparently hit 97 mph during a mop-up performance earlier this season. Believe it. He threw a one-hop seed from the track in deep right to second base when Matt Chapman tried to tag up in the fourth. Chapman wisely retreated.
-- The latest bout of wrist soreness certainly seems gone for Brandon Belt. He had a double in the first at-bat and a good opposite-field single in the seventh to drive in a run.
