Giants fall to Brewers 4-3, lose seventh game in a row

The Giants just lost their seventh game in a row. They have lost every game on this road trip. They are nearly unwatchable. And yet, here we are.

Chris Stratton got the start tonight and could have gotten the win, if not for two walks in the fourth inning that did him in. Stratton gave up two solo home runs to Travis Shaw and Christian Yelich, but it was back-to-back walks to Jesús Aguilar and Curtis Granderson that sealed his fate. They scored on a double and then a sacrifice fly to put the Brewers up 3-0 before Yelich’s home run in the fifth.

Stratton pitched only five innings, allowing four earned runs on four hits and three walks with six strike outs. He was relieved by Ty Blach, who pitched two clean innings with one strikeout and Will Smith who allowed one hit and struck out two.

For most of the game, it seemed as though the Giants weren’t going to give us false hope like they often have on this spectacularly bad road trip full of close losses.

To get their first run, Gregor Blanco reached on an error, then Chase d’Arnaud hit into a force out to wipe out the lead runner. Then Austin Slater hit a double and d’Arnaud was waved home, and immediately called out. He was ruled safe on the challenge, however, and that felt like the only run they would score today.

But of course, they couldn’t just go down quietly. No, they had to give us hope.

In the top of the eighth, Blanco once again got on base, this time with a single. Then Ryder Jones came in for d’Arnaud and hit a home run to right center field to bring the Giants within one run. The lone highlight of the night.

Joe Panik replaced Kelby Tomlinson and struck out, then Brandon Crawford came in as a pinch hitter for Blach and walked. Evan Longoria hit a single up the middle to bring up Hunter Pence, who had doubled in his last at bat. The runners advanced on a wild pitch, to put them at second and third. The optimist in me died when Pence struck out.

Now, many will say that Bochy should have brought in Brandon Belt to bat for Pence and that’s fair, I suppose. But Belt was later brought in during the top of the ninth and struck out. So really, there probably wasn’t much of a difference to be made there. Belt was a late scratch from the game with a sore knee, so it’s probably best that he didn’t have to run.

Just put all the veterans in bubble wrap for the rest of the season and let the kids play. What does it matter at this point.

Speaking of the kids, Chris Shaw was brought in to replace Gorkys Hernández in the top of the ninth with two outs, wherein he worked a walk to bring the go-ahead run to the plate. Of course, it didn’t matter because Blanco hit a fly ball to Christian Yelich to end the game, but it was still an admirable attempt.

Also, Abiatal Avelino made his MLB debut in this game. It was unmemorable, but many are. He went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts and was replaced by Alen Hanson. Hanson went 0-for-2 with one strikeout.

There was one point of interest about Avelino, though:

Additionally, the broadcasters were very, very interested in tonight’s sausage race, in which Chorizo channeled its inner Usain Bolt and smoked the rest of the sausages, leading the ballpark announcer to say that it had been a race for second from the start.

Much like the Giants in this game.

There are still 19 games left this season. And no, I am not fashioning a rope out of the office curtains to escape through the windows of McCovey Chronicles headquarters, what are you talking about?

/sends out SOS signals via Morse Code

At least it was an early start so you have the rest of the night to ruminate on how bad this team is. And the Giants have the rest of the night to be terrorized by ghosts at their hotel: