Giants remain punchless as D’backs finish sweep.
SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants offense that created so much optimism when the season began is officially in a tailspin.
The Giants were lifeless at the plate in Thursday’s 6-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks that resulted in only the second four-game sweep by an opponent in AT&T Park history.
San Francisco (7-10) has lost five in a row, eight of nine and has dropped 12 of the past 14 home games to Arizona.
“They did everything right,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said of the D’backs, “and we didn’t do anything right in this series. This was a tough series for us. That’s what it is, one series. Come back here tomorrow.”
That’s the refrain the Giants have to sing after another frustrating day that saw them go 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position. Worse yet, they didn’t even manage to get a runner past first base after a blown golden opportunity in the third inning.
“I don’t think we’re worried,” said third baseman Matt Duffy, who had two of the Giants’ three hits. “I think our lineup is composed of too many good hitters who understand what they’re doing at the plate for us to stay down this long.”
San Francisco now has just three hits in its last 35 at-bats with runners in scoring position during the five-game losing streak, and it’s all too often the big hitters who aren’t coming through.
Denard Span led off Thursday’s game with a walk and stolen base, but Joe Panik grounded out, Hunter Pence struck out and Brandon Belt flied out.
Arizona took a 2-0 lead into the third inning when D’backs starter Shelby Miller did all he could to give the Giants a chance.
Miller walked Giants pitcher Johnny Cueto to open the inning, then walked Span, Panik and Pence to force in a run. That led to a quick hook from Arizona manager Chip Hale.
Tyler Wagner entered for his fifth big league appearance and got Belt to ground into a double play that plated the tying run and Brandon Crawford to ground out to end the inning.
Like that, a two-run rally on paper was more of a frustration than a celebration.
“They killed us,” Bochy said of the missed early opportunities. “That’s what we’re missing, the timely hit. You always look lifeless when you don’t get those hits. We need somebody to inject some life in this offense and get a big hit. They were trying to give us the game there. If it wasn’t for the walks, we probably get shut out.”
Bochy said he’ll take a look at making some lineup changes before Friday’s series opener with the Miami Marlins, which brings Barry Bonds back to town as the Marlins hitting coach. But overall, he’s not too concerned about any long-term struggles.
“A lot of baseball left,” Bochy said. “It’s too early for them, hopefully, to be pressing. I don’t think they are. We just have some cold hitters right now. We’re even having trouble putting the ball in play. That’s all we need sometimes.”
Cueto took his first loss in four starts with the Giants despite providing seven solid innings. After the Giants tied it in the third, Cueto allowed a solo home run to Yasmani Tomas that put the Diamondbacks ahead to stay.
“I was trying to throw him a sinker, and the ball just stayed up,” Cueto said.
Cueto has pitched at least seven innings in each of his starts this year, and he finished his day strong, requiring just 11 pitches to complete the sixth and seventh innings.
“Johnny threw the ball well, threw well enough to win the ballgame,” Bochy said.
Benches cleared in the eighth inning after Giants reliever Josh Osich hit the D’backs’ David Peralta with a pitch on the arm for the second straight game.
Peralta said he didn’t think there was any intent, but he was annoyed to be drilled twice in a row by mid-to-upper 90s fastballs.
“He showed me yesterday like he can’t even throw the pitch inside because he ended up hitting me twice,” Peralta said. “The first pitch he hit me was at my face. I got lucky that I threw my arm in. Today he did the same thing and got me on my elbow. That’s why I said something, like: ‘Hey, what’s going on? You’re going to hurt somebody.’ He’s not like throwing 88, he’s throwing 98.”
Osich said it was just a matter of a couple pitches getting away from him.
“I can see why he can be mad,” Osich said. “I can see what it looks like because it’s the second day in a row. It’s part of baseball. I missed my spot.”
Giants catcher Buster Posey was held out of the lineup for a day of rest. He had started the previous seven games, although one of those came at first base.