Giant details turmoil he, pregnant wife endured after false positive test.
A coronavirus scare, an injured starting pitcher and three straight losses in which their offense was almost completely silenced.
Yes, after four exhausting days, the Giants were ready to leave San Diego.
San Francisco had a combined five hits in two losses at Petco Park on Sunday, getting smoked 6-0 in Game 1 of the doubleheader and 3-1 in the nightcap to once again fall below .500.
They also lost 6-1 to San Diego on Thursday and now with 13 games left remain locked in a struggle to hold onto one of the National League’s two wild-card spots.
With the two losses Sunday, the Giants are up on the Colorado Rockies for the No. 8 seed. They play the Mariners on Tuesday and Wednesday in Seattle.
“We’re still right where we need to be,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. “We’ve got the Mariners coming up. We need to be prepared for them. I expect us to bounce back well, as we have all season.”
Kevin Gausman was originally supposed to pitch this weekend but, according to Kapler, had tightness in his right elbow. Kapler added that Gausman will have an MRI on the elbow Monday.
Gausman, 29, has won three of his last four starts and has a 4.05 ERA this season.
“I have concerns,” Kapler said of Gausman’s injury. “We have one of our best starting pitchers getting an MRI on his elbow. Anytime that happens, there’s reason to be concerned.”
The Giants did not have an idea they would be playing Sunday until the night before when Alex Dickerson was cleared to return two days after he falsely tested positive for the coronavirus.
“Obviously, the test system has its flaws, and it was just a rough situation for (Dickerson),” Giants third baseman Evan Longoria said. “I was trying to put myself in the same shoes, and there would be a certain amount of panic on my mind as well.”
Starting pitcher Logan Webb threw well in the second game of the doubleheader, striking out five and allowing one earned run over four innings.
But the bullpen struggled, as Sam Selman was charged with two earned runs in the fifth inning. Jurickson Profar had an RBI single off Selman to give the Padres a 2-1 lead, and Manny Machado singled off Tyler Rogers to bring home Profar.
Webb found out he was starting the second game of the doubleheader after he arrived at the ballpark Sunday.
“Just hoping that it’s a little minor thing and that (Gausman’s) all right,” Webb said.
Webb made one major mistake, leaving a 85 mph changeup up in the zone for Wil Myers, who hit it 405 feet over the center field wall.
Otherwise it was something to build on for Webb, who was rocked in his last outing Sept. 8. Against the Seattle Mariners, Webb walked three and gave up five earned runs in what became a 6-5 Giants victory.
Mike Yastrzemski was responsible for the Giants’ lone run, doubling home Brandon Crawford in the top of the second inning for a 1-0 lead.
Almost all season, the Giants have had their way with non-playoff teams only to struggle against postseason contenders. After Sunday, they are now 6-16 against teams that are in a playoff position and 17-8 against teams that are on the outside looking in.
Of the Giants’ 13 remaining games, six are against teams — two vs. Seattle and four vs. Colorado — that are out of a playoff spot. They also have three left against the American League West-leading A’s and four left against San Diego, now two games back of the Dodgers for first place in the division pending Los Angeles’ game vs. Houston on Sunday night.
• The Giants on Sunday placed right handed reliever Trevor Gott on the 10-day injured list with right elbow inflammation. The transaction is retroactive to Sept. 10. In a corresponding move, righthander Rico Garcia was recalled from the Giants’ alternate training site in Sacramento.
Kapler said Sunday morning that Gott’s injury was, “nothing acute. He just was feeling some soreness.”