Giants drop 2nd straight loss to Brewers

The San Francisco Giants returned home from a threecity road trip and dropped the first game of a crucial four-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers, 3-1, on Monday night.

With Johnny Cueto placed on the injured list with an illness hours before the game, Jose Alvarez got the short-notice call to start. The Brewers tagged him for two runs, one in the first inning and one in the second, on four hits and two walks over his 1 2/3 innings pitched.

In the first inning, Christian Yelich hit a one-out double down the first base line and Omar Narvaez hit a first-pitch RBI single to score him. Brewers starter Corbin Burnes helped his own cause in the second inning with an RBI knock and Alvarez was pulled with two outs in the second inning with runners on the corners.

Jay Jackson got the final out and Jarlin Garcia dealt 3 2/3 scoreless innings to keep the Giants in reach. But Burnes was nearly unhittable.

The St. Mary’s College alum held the San Francisco to two hits in six scoreless innings, collecting nine strikeouts with a high-velocity backdoor cutter and an eye-popping 16 swing and misses. But Burnes cracked in the seventh inning, his velocity lowering, when Brandon Belt and Kris Bryant hit back-to-back singles with high exit velocities to start off and Burnes was pulled with no outs.

Brandon Crawford chopped a single off reliever Brad Boxberger into right field to score Belt and cut the Giants’ deficit to one run, but Mike Yastrzemski and Alex Dickerson hit into first-pitch outs. Darin Ruf smoked a 107mph lineout to left field to end the threat.

It was the second run the Giants have scored against Burnes in two match ups this season — he held them to seen innings with five strikeouts and four hits in Milwaukee on Aug. 6.

The Brewers added an insurance run in the eighth inning against Dominic Loene. Avisail Garcia drew a walk, Rowdy Tellez singled to put runners on the corners. Luis Urias hit a ground-rule double and Leone forced a ground out to limit the damage.