Giants’ win streak snapped at four games in loss to Brewers
SAN FRANCISCO – A temporary speed bump or have the Giants thrown it into reverse again?
A four-game win-streak ended Sunday with a 7-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers before a crowd of 34,603 at Oracle Park. It snapped a streak for the Brewers as well, who had lost five in a row.
The Giants open a threegame series against the Washington Nationals Monday night hoping to prove they aren’t as streaky as they seem. The four-game win streak was preceded by a four-game losing streak, which began after a five-game win streak.
Catcher Blake Sabol, recovered enough from a post-mexico City induced stomach virus to start at catcher, believes consistency is on the way.
“I think it’s a series win, we’ve got another home series starting tomorrow,” Sabol said. “I think for us, the bats are going to wake up here. I think there’s good things happening.”
The Giants fell to 15-18 in part because starter
Ross Stripling is finding that he pays for each and every mistake, as well as an offense that was 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 10 runners on base.
“It’s always disappointing when those rallies are cut short,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. “We’ve been able of late to capitalize on some of those and get some big knocks but we weren’t able to do that today.”
The Giants scored twice off starter Adrian Houser, who was making his first start of the season after coming off the injured list with a groin injury. They both came in the second inning on run-scoring singles from Brett Wisely and Lamonte Wade Jr. That was it until a too-little, toolate solo homer by Thairo Estrada, his sixth, in the ninth inning with a fiverun deficit.
Four Milwaukee relievers — Hoby Milner, Joel Payamps, Peter Strzelecki and Devin Williams — finished up, with Payamps (1-0) getting the win.
Milwaukee (19-15) got two-run home runs from William Contreras (his first) in the second inning and Willy Adames (his sixth) in the fifth against Stripling, who fell to 0-2 and saw his earned run average climb to 6.66.
Stripling, who is not going to win games on sheer velocity and power, knows he’s got to be precise. But he estimates at this point that if he throws 90 pitches, 85 had better be on point otherwise he’ll have to live with line drives as a result.
“What we’re seeing is no room for error with me,” Stripling said. “Both my walks score, my worst change-up gets hit for a homer and my worst slider of the day gets hit for a homer. I know I’ve got to hit corners and throw to their weakness, but it definitely feels more this season than normal.”