The 2025 Giants have the very unique ability to take hope and expectations, and harshly remind you of the club’s glaring flaws. Such was the case for the entirety of this homestand, and especially evident in a putrid three game home sweep at the hands of the lowly Miami Marlins. San Francisco took the disappointment and sour taste of dropping the first two and told its fans to hold its beer on Sunday, taking a 12-5 pounding to cap off the sweep.
On Thursday it was the pitching that let the Giants down. Something that has seldom plagued the team this season. Hayden Birdsong turned in his second straight poor start, today’s edition clocking in much worse than his loss on Friday against the Red Sox. Birdsong didn;t waste any time making good on the Giants’ pseudo promise that they’d retaliate to a flurry of hit batsmen after Wednesday night’s loss.
First from Mwlvin, then from Logan Webb.
When it all went down in the first inning, the umpiring crew was quick to nip any controversy in the bud. Birdsong drilled Lopez with two outs and nobody on in the top of the first. That’s the time to do it. Except it backfired spectacularly on the young right hander, as Kyle Stowers’ clubbed a three run shot two batters later to give Miami a 3-0 lead.
It wasn’t the end of it, but it took a while for tempers to flare back up. WIlmer Flores was called out on a borderline check swing (Sorry for the trigger) and barked towards the first base umpire. Something was shouted from the Marlins dugout that Flores took exception to, and mild chaos ensued.
It’s the fourth time the Giants have been swept in 2025 if you count the two games they dropped in San Diego in late April. The other two, at the Twins and at the Tigers, seem to pale in comparison to this disaster. Heading into this week, it seemed as though the Giants were treating this series as a must win, with a positive sweep very much on the table. Instead, they’ll head to the south side of Chicago licking their wounds. It’s another bad team, another dreadful team actually, waiting for them in the White Sox. But these Giants haven’t earned the benefit of the doubt at this point.
Notes:
The Giants officially have a third base coach issue. Matt Williams has been the subject of four controversial sends or holds in June alone. That’s three more than you even budget for. He was flawless, as he should be, on Thursday, but the controversy was rife after a brutal decision to send home the would be winning run cost the Giants in the home half of the ninth.
Murph and Kerry Crowley discussed the dilemma on Thursday morning. Crowley offered an olive branch to Williams, who likely has factored in the Giants’ anemic offense with runners in scoring position to his decisions.