SAN FRANCISCO - About 30 minutes before Thursday's day game in Detroit, the Giants announced that Chris Stratton would start for Johnny Cueto, who has an ear infection. Stratton didn't have his best day, but with the way Anibal Sanchez and Tigers relievers threw, it probably didn't matter regardless.
Sanchez dominated through five and the Tigers held a big early lead. A 6-2 defeat in an early game kept the Giants from taking a series in Detroit after a sweep in Pittsburgh. Here are five things you need to know from getaway day …
-- Making his first career start, Stratton was charged with five earned on six hits and five walks. He went heavy with the fastball, which maxed out at 94 mph but averaged just 91. The stuff plays up a bit better in the bullpen. Stratton did, however, do some solid inning-eating on short notice. He threw 106 pitches on short notice and departed with two outs in the seventh.
-- It's unclear what the Giants will do with Cueto, but they can DL him if they'd like an extra player over the weekend. Cueto isn't scheduled to start again until June 14 in San Diego. The Giants also could option Stratton and that's probably the more likely scenario. They have three games left until the four-day All-Star break.
-- Looks like Austin Slater is dealing with his first slow patch in the big leagues. He was 0 for 3 on Thursday and went 4 for 22 on the road trip.
-- Brandon Belt turned a grounder through the shift into a hustle double. He finished 8 for 24 on the road trip with two homers and three doubles.
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-- The Giants finished 4-2 on the trip, securing their first winning road trip since a five-game swing through Phoenix and Oakland last June 29-June 3. The road record still needs a lot of work: 17-32.
