© John Hefti | USA Today
SAN FRANCISCO – For seven innings, the Giants and visiting Milwaukee Brewers traded blows, heading into the eighth inning of Thursday night’s game tied 2-2. But a pair of nightmare relief appearances from Mark Melancon and Chris Stratton saw the Brewers tack on five runs in the eighth and ninth innings, leading the visitors to a 7-5 win.
Melancon found himself unlucky to allow a leadoff baserunner in the eighth inning, as right fielder Christian Yelich (3-for-5, 2 RBIs, 1 HR) hit a chopper to first base that bounced off the chest of Austin Slater – starting his first-ever game at first base for the Giants in the absence of a disabled-listed Brandon Belt – for a leadoff single.
He forced a flyout to his next batter, but unraveled from there, allowing three straight singles, which scored two runs. He left the mound after a walk, and Stratton, who was called up earlier in the day, got a strikeout from Brewers leadoff man Eric Thames, who had doubled twice in the game.
The Giants battled back in the eighth inning after a pair of leadoff walks. After a wild pitch moved Slater to third, Buster Posey grounded out and reached safely to close the gap to one run. Posey was pinch-run for by Alen Hanson, and after a strikeout from third baseman Evan Longoria, Brandon Crawford singled into right field to move Hanson to third.
With runners at the corners, Hunter Pence, who was 0-for-3 in the game, but 5-for-12 in his last three games, stepped to the plate with a chance to tie it. With an 0-2 count, Pence struck out, leaving the Giants with a one-run deficit heading into the ninth inning.
Once the ninth inning came, Stratton experienced a worse version of Melancon’s eighth. After retiring his first batter, Stratton allowed a double to a red-hot Yelich, who scored on the Brewers’ next at-bat on a single from Jesús Aguilar. With a 5-3 score, third baseman Travis Shaw sent a two-run home run over the Levi’s Landing in right field.
The Giants rallied late in the ninth inning, after center fielder Steven Duggar led the inning off with a double to left field, and tagged up later at third base from a Chase d’Arnaud sacrifice fly. After a walk to Slater, Andrew McCutchen hit a double off the right-field wall to close the gap to 7-5. The Giants last batter of the game was Nick Hundley, who struck out looking.
While the Giants were without Belt, they received immediate help from Longoria, as well as Posey and Crawford in the 4-5-6 spots. In his first start since fracturing his left hand June 14, Longoria was slotted fifth in the lineup. He finished 2-for-4, while Posey finished 2-for-3 with a walk, and Crawford finished 2-for-4.
After Posey walked to lead off the second inning, Longoria drove a single to left field in his opening at-bat. Brandon Crawford followed suit, singling to left to give the Giants three straight baserunners in the first two innings for the first time since July 11 against the Cubs. After a double play ball from Hunter Pence scored Posey to tie the game, Duggar ripped a ball up the middle to score Crawford and give the Giants a 2-1 lead.
Longoria continued to give the Giants a spark. In the fourth inning, after Posey reached base on a single, Longoria singled again to center field. The Giants looked like they might have three straight baserunners again, as Crawford hit a ball hard in the air to right field. Yelich covered the ground to make the catch, doubling up Posey at second.
Giants starter Dereck Rodriguez looked to be in trouble in the first inning, but quickly calmed down. He allowed a first-pitch double to Thames, who scored two batters later on a groundout to give the Brewers a 1-0 lead.
Rodriguez then went four scoreless innings until the top of the sixth inning. On the fourth hit he allowed, Yelich homered deep to center field, tying the game at two. Rodriguez finished the game with six innings, five strikeouts and two earned runs, receiving a no-decision.
After Rodriguez departed, the Giants and Brewers found themselves in a deadlock. In the middle of that deadlock came an appearance from Brewers reliever Josh Hader. During the All-Star game, a series of racist, homophobic and misogynistic tweets.
Bochy said before the game that he didn’t know how Giants fans would react to Hader, but when he took the mound, their feelings became clear. Giants fans poured the boos on Hader as he came in from the bullpen until after he reached the mound.
The Giants’ (52-52) loss moves the team to .500 on the season and 5.5 behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West Division.
