San Francisco Giants Morning Minute: Put Another One in the Loss Column
On this edition of the San Francisco Giants Morning Minute, we discuss another close loss and continue to wonder when, or if, things will get better.
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Good morning, San Francisco Giants’ fans, and welcome to another edition of the Giants Morning Minute. On Friday, the Giants lost again, falling to the Chicago Cubs, 2-1. Jon Lester (15-4) earned the win with a complete game, while Albert Suarez (3-3) was stuck with the tough-luck loss.
The Los Angeles Dodgers also lost on Friday, dropping a 4-2 decision to the San Diego Padres. The Dodgers’ lead over the Giants in the division remains at two games. In the wildcard race, the St. Louis Cardinals also lost, so the Giants keep a 1.5-game lead for the first wildcard spot.
The Giants are staying competitive in most of these games. Since the All-Star break, they’ve lost 29 games. 18 of those losses have come by two runs or fewer. Only six of them have come by four or more runs. They’re doing enough that they aren’t being blown out of games and when it comes down to the end, they’re still not out of it on the scoreboard.
But at the same time, they just aren’t doing enough to win these games. After accumulating a 20-11 record in one-run games in the first half, they are 4-11 in such games since the break. They are coming up one hit short, or one pitch short, or defensive play short. No matter what they do, they just can’t seem to get it done.
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These guys haven’t given up yet. Third baseman Eduardo Nunez, who wasn’t with the team during the winning times, let his frustrations show in the seventh inning Friday. After hitting a ball about as hard as he could down the left field line, only to have Cubs’ third baseman Kris Bryant make a lunging catch, Nunez slammed his bat into the ground before throwing his helmet down as well. Brandon Crawford, who had a pair of his own lineouts, took out his frustrations on his bat and helmet.
It’s been that way for the Giants for a long time. It’s been 44 games of thinking the luck has to change soon. It’s been 44 games of thinking line drives, like the one Kelby Tomlinson hit in the sixth inning, wouldn’t be caught with miraculous diving plays. It’s been 44 games of thinking not every bloop hit by the other team, like the one Dexter Fowler hit in the third inning that drove in the Cubs’ second run, is going to fall.
It’s been 44 games of thinking “this can’t continue much longer, can it?”. So far, that change hasn’t come.
Time is running out. The Giants have 28 games left in the regular season. Somehow, they aren’t out of it yet. Despite how terribly they’ve played for nearly two months, over a quarter of the season, they are still right there. They still have the first wildcard spot and they are still only two games back in the division. They hold their own destiny in their hands. It’s on them to take advantage of it.
Next: Giants Morning Minute: Moore's Comfort, Call-Ups, AFL
And that will do it for this edition of the Giants Morning Minute. Up next, the Giants and the Cubs will continue their series with another day game at Wrigley Field. Aces will do battle, as Madison Bumgarner and Jake Arrieta take the mound for their respective clubs.