Giants Struggle with Consistency in Loss
SEATTLE — It’s been tough for the Giants to find their footing this season. Even when they seem to make progress, persistent issues like subpar pitching and shaky defense hold them back.
This time, they couldn’t extend their three-game winning streak to four. Despite home runs from Rafael Devers and Willie Adames, along with six solid innings from Logan Webb, they dropped to 0-6 when trying to achieve the fourth win.
Webb tied the game with a three-run homer in the seventh, but the Giants couldn’t capitalize with the automatic runner in extras. In the 10th inning, a sacrifice fly from Julio Rodriguez brought in Dylan Smith, leading to a 4-3 walk-off loss.
Notably, Smith faced his 10th loss, even though the Giants had initially led after the sixth inning without managing any hits. Webb certainly had his hand in that.
“I’m the one who messed it up,” Webb admitted. “Today was supposed to be our fourth win. Losing that momentum really stings.”
After giving the Giants a 3-0 lead with his homer, Webb watched as Luis Arraez committed just his fifth error of the season, a small moment that felt emblematic of the team’s struggles.
It’s surprising how quickly one mistake can derail the whole game.
And now, here they are, back to square one, or at least that’s how their winning streak feels.
“People focus on one pitch, but you can’t take it back,” manager Tony Vitello noted. “It was a good game overall, but this loss is tough, and tomorrow will be a challenge for us.”
When Webb started the seventh inning, he looked promising, giving up only one hit and facing the toughest batters while throwing just 70 pitches. But things quickly unraveled after he hit Randy Arozarena following an 0-2 count. This was followed by a walk to Josh Naylor, and Young capitalized on the situation.
“That’s unacceptable,” Webb reflected. “I try to teach younger players to be aggressive, especially when you’re ahead, but I just messed up there.”
He crouched down as Young’s sweeper traveled 405 feet into right field, leaving him feeling disappointed. He allowed just two hits and three earned runs over 6 1/3 innings—arguably the most frustrating “quality” start he’s had.
Webb reviewed the unfortunate slider that was not as effective as those he had previously thrown, which had already led to several strikeouts.
“I thought the team played well overall; this loss is on me,” he said.
The pitching duel continued into the fifth inning, led by native Brian Wu against the Giants. So far, the only runs were unearned until center fielder Luke Lally misplayed a hit from Bryce Eldridge, allowing Drew Gilbert to score and making it 1-0.
The day after his standout performance, Eldridge remained the only player with multiple hits and managed to walk three times.
In the sixth inning, Devers and Adames combined for two solo home runs, pushing the lead to 3-0. Devers marked his 20th home run, hitting a line drive over 331 feet down the left field line, while Adames cleared the right field wall.
That should have given Webb some breathing room.
But after just one inning, that cushion was gone, and so was Webb’s momentum.
What It Means
While Webb took personal responsibility for the loss, Vitello highlighted that the Giants only managed three runs against Wu and the Mariners’ bullpen, which made it hard to secure a win.
Alongside his two solo homers, Eldridge’s single in the third inning with Gilbert on base was the only hit from seven chances with runners in scoring position, leaving eight men stranded.
“For me, four runs is the magic number,” Vitello remarked. “We need to pursue that every day. We fell short in the fourth inning, and that likely made all the difference in a nine-inning game like today’s.”
