PHOENIX — For the second time within the final 4 days, the Giants have scored 4 runs within the first inning in opposition to a left-handed pitcher. For the second time within the final 4 video games, the Giants failed to guard that lead.
The Giants’ playoff odds additional dwindled on Tuesday evening at Chase Subject as they dropped their fourth straight sport, a 6-5 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks (77-75) as Jordan Lawlar delivered a walk-off single. With the Mets beating the Padres, San Francisco (75-76) is three video games again of the third and ultimate NL wild card spot with 11 video games remaining and on the verge of being swept.
“All these games we lose like that are frustrating, especially against a lefty,” stated supervisor Bob Melvin. “We had a tough time with him last time. To be able to score four in the first and another one in the third, then after that, it didn’t even feel like we had a baserunner.”
Rodriguez turned in one among his finest begins of the season when he confronted San Francisco at Oracle Park final week, pitching 6 1/3 shutout innings with six strikeouts because the Giants failed to finish a sweep. On Tuesday, against this, the Giants jumped on Rodriguez from the soar by placing up a four-spot.
Heliot Ramos started the evening with a double, and Rafael Devers adopted with a single. Matt Chapman drove within the sport’s first run with a sacrifice fly, Wilmer Flores adopted with an RBI single and Jerar Encarnacion drove in two with a double. Earlier than Tristan Beck threw a pitch, San Francisco owned a commanding 4-0 lead.
The remainder of the Giants’ evening was tranquil. Wilmer Flores hit a solo homer within the prime of the third, his sixteenth dwelling run of the season, however San Francisco totaled simply three hits after the primary inning. These 5 runs wouldn’t be sufficient in opposition to this Diamondbacks offense, which plated three runs off Beck and two in opposition to Trevor McDonald to tie the sport at 5 after 5.
“Certainly looks like that when you go down that quickly,” stated Melvin when requested if his hitters have been being overly aggressive. “It puts a little pressure on the pitching to go right back out there too.”
Neither San Francisco or Arizona scored within the sixth, seventh or eighth, however the Giants gifted the Diamondbacks their share of additional alternatives.
Within the seventh, with one out, runners on the corners and José Buttó on the mound, the Diamondbacks’ Blaze Alexander hit a pointy grounder to Flores, who appeared to tag first earlier than firing dwelling. Geraldo Perdomo was out by about 10 toes, however Flores by no means tagged first earlier than throwing. As an alternative of an inning-ending double play, it was two outs with runners on first and second for Lawlar.
Buttó escaped the inning with out permitting a run thanks to a different oddity. When Lawlar hit a chopper to the infield’s proper aspect, Flores collided with Alexander whereas going for the grounder. Flores nonetheless stayed with the play and fired to Buttó, however first base umpire Dan Merzel deemed the play lifeless and known as runner’s interference.
“In Flo’s case, he’s trying to get the out at home, so you can understand you’re not perfect — the priority is getting the out at home,” Melvin stated.
The Giants needed to work round one other self-inflicted wound within the eighth. Buttó fired an errant throw into proper discipline on Alek Thomas’ bunt, permitting Thomas to advance to second with no outs. Thomas moved as much as third on a sacrifice bunt, however Ryan Walker entered with two outs and stored the sport scoreless by getting Ketel Marte to floor out.
San Francisco’s luck ran out within the ninth. Corbin Carroll started the inning with a single, and Walker walked Gabriel Moreno to place runners on first and second with no outs. Alexander laid down a sacrifice bunt, however the Giants didn’t document an out when second baseman Casey Schmitt didn’t get his foot on the bag when protecting first.
Schmitt’s mistake instantly proved pricey. With the bases loaded, Lawlar tapped a check-swing grounder previous Walker’s glove. For the reason that bases have been loaded — not second and third with one out if Schmitt recorded the out — the speedy Carroll ran on contact. Flores fielded and fired dwelling, however with Carroll’s velocity, the Giants had no shot at getting the pressure.
“There’s a lot of new things for Casey at second base, but one of them is that he’s got to get on the bag,” Melvin stated. “Obviously he didn’t, and that was huge.”
The Giants discovered themselves inside arm’s attain of catching the Mets and snatching that ultimate wild card spot following Patrick Bailey’s dramatic walk-off grand slam. They’re now on the verge of being swept, an end result that will drop their slim odds nearer to zero.
Initially Printed: September 16, 2025 at 9:16 PM PDT
