What we learned in Giants' sloppy sixth straight loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
SAN FRANCISCO -- The 2021 Giants won 107 games. The 2021 Arizona Diamondbacks lost 110 games. On Aug. 30, 2022, the two organizations are tied in the NL West standings, and there's little doubt about which one is heading in the right direction and which one has some serious thinking to do about how to better handle the offseason.
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With a 4-3 loss to the Padres on Tuesday, the Giants (61-67) dropped six games under .500 and 9 1/2 behind San Diego, the current third Wild Card team. They tied a season-high with four errors, and as they have done often, they did just about nothing offensively until it was too late.
Through seven innings, the Giants had as many hits as errors, but a Padres miscue helped them get on the board in the eighth. Right-hander Luis Garcia fielded a comebacker and threw it into center field and Thairo Estrada's infield single made it a three-run game. The rally would be short-lived. Brandon Crawford struck out and Austin Wynns grounded out to short.
Joc Pederson gave Oracle Park a jolt with a two-run Splash Hit in the ninth, but that was it for a team that has now lost six straight and 10 of 12.
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Logan Unlucky
Logan Webb got a nice surprise Monday when MLB ruled that a hit in last Wednesday's loss -- the liner up the middle that got past Crawford -- was actually an error. That meant that all six runs Webb allowed in that game were unearned, lowering his ERA from 3.33 to 2.99. Perhaps it was foreshadowing.
The Giants made three errors behind Webb, including a killer in the sixth inning. Webb was at 92 pitches after five but he struck out Jurickson Profar and Juan Soto to start the sixth, then got Manny Machado to hit a grounder to short. Crawford's throw was low and skipped past Yermin Mercedes and into the dugout. A single a batter later got the Padres on the board and ended Webb's night.
Instead of six shutout innings, Webb had to settle for 5 2/3 on 109 pitches. He struck out seven and allowed just four hits while lowering his ERA to 2.89, which ranks eighth in the NL.
More Of The Same
The Giants have ranked in the bottom three in advanced defensive metrics most of the year, but you didn't need Defensive Runs Saved or Outs Above Average to know that they were an abomination defensively on Tuesday. The four errors matched a season high set on June 9 against the Rockies, and two of them led directly to runs.
The first error came in the second inning when Wynns was called for catcher's interference for the fourth time this season. The next two were on Crawford, who twice had balls skip past Mercedes -- who didn't do his infielders any favors -- and into the visiting dugout.
The fourth was on J.D. Davis when his throw to first sailed wide. Trent Grisham immediately hit a two-run homer that made it 3-0.
Another One
The Giants have lost Brandon Belt (knee) and Joey Bart (concussion) to injuries lately and their starting DH on Tuesday -- Evan Longoria -- can barely run because of a hamstring strain. It didn't take long for another one to go down.
RELATED: Belt weighing season-ending knee surgery
Austin Slater drew a leadoff walk in the first but was picked off, and as he slid headfirst into second, he dislocated his left pinkie finger. Slater initially got it taped up and stayed in the game, but he lasted just one more inning. As Slater stood in the outfield in the top of the second he looked uncomfortable. Mike Yastrzemksi took over in center field.
