KANSAS CITY — As the Giants navigate the season, their focus largely rests on how other teams view potential trade candidates.
In the grand scope of things, Tuesday’s 3-2 defeat against the Royals was a mixed experience.
It’s possible that Tyler Mahle is making his final start with the team he joined last winter. He pitched reasonably well, but his performance wasn’t exactly stellar. Throwing 91 pitches, he exited after six scoreless innings while allowing three runs, raising his ERA to 5.31.
This outing likely didn’t change the management’s opinion of him. Though the veteran is set to become a free agent again this winter and probably won’t make it to the postseason, he could still attract interest as a depth addition for pitching.
When asked about his mindset ahead of the trade deadline, Mahle simply said, “I’m just trying to pitch better.”
During the sixth inning, Mahle relied on a specific combination from the pitching staff, beginning the frame with a walk to Isaac Collins, followed by a hit by Salvador Perez, setting up yet another pitcher who might catch the eyes of teams looking for left-handed bullpen support.
However, Sam Hentges didn’t manage to resolve the situation. He fell behind Vinny Pasquantino, who then tied the game with a grounder up the middle. After hitting another batter, manager Tony Vitello opted to bring in Keaton Wynn.
Wynn, an unexpected trade candidate, managed to give Nick Loftin two strikes before throwing a sinker that induced a grounder, but it found a gap, sailing into left field, allowing the Royals to take a 3-2 lead.
The runners on base, inherited from Mahle, scored, changing the game’s momentum.
“[Mahle] looked good, just like in his last two outings,” Vitello commented. “Sam has been effective at getting us out of tight spots lately, but that inning turned out to be pivotal.”
As the Aug. 3 deadline approaches, lining up Vitello may have been the Giants’ smartest strategy to keep their trade assets appealing.
This season, Luis Arraez has only missed a chance to play six times. He’s eager to be on the field every game, but his troublesome right foot, which seems to attract foul balls, has complicated things. Missing one game could help prevent a more serious injury down the line.
It appeared the Giants were determined to give Arraez a complete day off, as Vitello kept the National League’s No. 2 hitter on the bench, even during two key pinch-hitting opportunities.
Leading 3-2 in the seventh inning, Jung Hoo Lee started with a single and advanced due to a sacrifice from Jesus Rodriguez. Yet, Vitello chose not to send in Arraez, despite a potential tying run being in scoring position.
After two outs by Drew Gilbert, Christian Koss replaced Arraez at second base. Although Koss had earlier walked and singled, he ultimately popped out to end the inning.
“It’s about capitalizing when you have runners on base,” Vitello noted. “That was really the takeaway.”
In the ninth, Lee reached base again via a walk, but pinch runner Grant McCray didn’t advance. Meanwhile, Arraez, sporting an elbow guard, remained in the dugout.
What It Means
The Giants won their first game after the All-Star break but then went on to lose the next four. They are now 42-59, a season-low of 17 games under .500, marking their most significant drop since finishing the 2017 season with a 64-98 record—the second-worst in the team’s history in San Francisco.
Who Is Hot
Frustrations flared for the Giants when home plate umpire Lance Barrett halted the game to address an issue in the visitors’ dugout.
They were particularly aggrieved by Willie Adames’ check swing in his first at-bat, which led to a strikeout. “The entire dugout voiced their opinion about the check swing,” Vitello said, noting that Gilbert was seen telling the ump to “shut up.”
Later, Adames faced another unusual call in the seventh inning, deepening the tensions. The Giants believed he should have been awarded first base in the sixth when his swing appeared to hit the glove of Royals catcher Carter Jensen. Vitello asked for a video review, which showed some evidence of catcher interference, but ultimately, the call on the field stood and Adames popped out.
“From the video replay, it seemed they may not have clearly seen the bat hitting the catcher’s mitt,” Vitello speculated.
Who Is Not?
Bryce Eldridge has been a reliable source on base, successfully hitting in his first at-bat for the 53rd time in 59 games since his May 4 call-up. Yet, after a strong start against Seattle, he has struggled in this series. He didn’t have a challenging play during Monday’s game-clinching squeeze bunt, but he tallied three strikeouts on Tuesday.
Eldridge’s tendency for swings and misses is evident lately. This month alone, he’s racked up 24 strikeouts and nine walks across 16 games. Over his last 27 games, those figures remain troublingly consistent, with 24 strikeouts and 14 walks.
To The Next
The Giants are set to conclude their series against the Royals on Wednesday (11:10 a.m. PT), with Landen Loop on the mound against Seth Lugo, before returning home to face the Angels on Friday, a team that has been underperforming in the American League for three consecutive years.
San Francisco’s 9-17 record in interleague games stands as the worst in the majors this season.
