Giants lose contact with offense in loss to Mets
SAN FRANCISCO >> Neither the Mets nor the Giants make scoring runs look easy, but on Saturday, simply putting the ball in play proved to be an immense challenge for the two teams.
The clubs combined for 20 strikeouts over the first nine innings and 26 total punchouts, and the team that made the most contact wound up on top.
After 11 innings of lackluster offense from both teams, the Mets broke through and the Giants lost 2-1.
“We had a lot of strikeouts and a lot looking,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “We just couldn’t mount anything offensively.”
In the top of the 11th, right-hander Hunter Strickland allowed a leadoff double to Wilmer Flores and a one-out sacrifice fly to Todd Frazier, which was all the damage the Mets needed to do to defeat a Giants club that managed just three hits.
“Three hits in extra innings, that makes it tough for you,” Bochy said.
Over their last 56 innings, the Giants have given up just six runs but still managed to lose two of the six games they’ve played in the last week.
Nothing has come easily for the Giants in 2018, so even after Derek Holland turned in another gem, it should come as no surprise Saturday’s game came down to the wire against the Mets.
Holland wasn’t a marquee free agent last offseason, but he found an opportunity with the Giants and was promised a chance to compete for a role on their 2018 staff in spring training. While Bochy liked Holland best as a starter, it wasn’t clear if he would break camp with the club as a member of the rotation or the bullpen until Madison Bumgarner and Jeff Samardzija suffered latespring injuries.
While Holland was reassigned to a bullpen role in early July, he rejoined the starting staff at the end of July and has been a leading force for one of the most effective rotations in baseball.
“I’ve got a good staff helping me out and keeping me out on the field,” Holland said. “Working with (Matt) Herges and Curt (Young), these guys have done a great job of putting me in different spots, going out of the ’pen and coming in as a starter. Moving me on the rubber, it’s all helping me.”
Since a July 25 start in Seattle, Holland has allowed two runs or fewer runs in seven of his eight starts, including the one he made against the Mets on Saturday. The veteran benefitted from the slick defense of shortstop Alen Hanson, who erased a scoring opportunity for New York in the top of the sixth.
With two outs in the inning, Mets left fielder Michael Conforto hit a dribbler to Hanson on the left side of the infield that allowed Frazier to reach third. But instead of holding up at the bag, New York’s third baseman
turned toward home and was thrown out trying to scamper back to third on a heads-up throw by Hanson.
“That was awesome,” Holland said. “I was going to be pretty upset if he got the hit ’cause I made a good pitch and jammed him, and that was a great play by Hanson.”
Holland dropped his season ERA to 3.56 with another quality start. Since the beginning of June, the left-hander has performed even better than his numbers indicate and posted a 2.65 ERA over his last 19 appearances.
Like all Giants pitchers, Holland has suffered from a lack of run support, but the club had still managed to win five of his last six starts entering Saturday.
Third baseman Evan Longoria hit his teamleading 15th home run of the season in the fourth inning, but that was the only support the Giants offense gave its pitchers. Rookie right fielder Austin Slater added two hits, but the Giants struck out 16 times, their most since a 17-strikeout game May 8 in Philadelphia.
• Bochy said shortstop Brandon Crawford sat out Saturday’s game due to a sore left knee.
Crawford is “day-to-day” and was available to pinch hit, but Bochy wanted to keep him off the field. The Giants may add another shortstop to their roster in the coming days. Abiatal Avelino is a candidate to join the club in September. Avelino was acquired in the
McCutchen trade and will report to Triple-A Sacramento to play three games with the River Cats. The Giants must protect Avelino on the 40-man roster this offseason, so they may look to evaluate the former Yankees prospect over the final weeks of the season.
• September call-ups began Saturday and while several teams added at least a half-dozen players, the Giants promoted just one. Reliever Ray Black rejoined the club Saturday, but Bochy said more help is on the way. The Giants are waiting for the Triple-A season to end Monday before bringing in additional players.
The team has not announced if top starting prospect Shaun Anderson will be among the players joining the Giants.