This is just brutal.
One day after scoring a combined four runs in a two-loss doubleheader vs. the Brewers, the Giants were only able to muster two on three hits in a 4-2 series opening loss to the Cubs in Chicago. In the last two days San Francisco played 27 innings of baseball. In those 27 innings they had just 10 hits.
Again, the Giants spoiled an excellent pitching performance. This time it was from starter Carlos Rodón, who struck out 11 while giving up just two earned runs on three hits. It was Rodon’s 10th double-digit strikeout game of the season, which is a franchise record. His 212 strikeouts are the most by a San Francisco Giant in his first season with the team.
Still he was tagged with the loss, thanks to a Giants offense that was absolutely shutdown by former Giant Drew Smyly.
Smyly was good on Friday in seven scoreless innings, but made to look better by the Giants’ inability to barrel up his sinker, no matter where it landed in the zone.
The only real difference between Rodon and Smyly’s performances were one pitch, when Yan Gomes golfed a Rodon slider for a two-run jack over the ivy in left field.
Cubs shortstop Nico Hoerner hit another two-run homer off Yunior Marte after Rodon was pulled in the sixth, providing insurance runs it turns out the Cubs would need.
In the top half of that inning, Giants catcher Austin Wynns left the game after being hit in the head with a 93 mph Smyly fastball. The ball looked to be headed for Wynns face, but he was able to move out of the way at the last split-second and have the ball bounce off his helmet.
Wynns stayed upright but had his head down as trainer Dave Groeschner and Gabe Kapler came to his aide. He eventually made his way to the dugout under his own power.
This is the second game in a row where a player has taken a pitch off the head. On Thursday, it was Giants pitcher Sean Hjelle who hit Luis Urías in the head. Amazingly, Urías stayed in the game, though Hjelle was pulled.
The Giants finally got on the board in the eighth, when Evan Longoria hit a bases loaded two-run double. All three previous base runners in the inning reached due to Cubs mishaps (error, walk, walk).
But that was it. The Giants have now lost five in a row, and haven’t score more than three runs in any of those games.
