Late-inning meltdowns and defensive blunders halted the San Francisco Giants' winning streak in Chicago. Now, the Giants must prove they can clinch tight contests after squandering their recent offensive momentum.
The San Francisco Giants squandered not one, but two one-run leads in game two of their three-game slate against the Chicago Cubs.
After defeating them 18-3 in a lopsided first encounter, Chicago came to play, especially in the ninth and 10th innings.
All things considered, there's no reason the Giants should've failed to win their fourth consecutive game. It's not like one more win would've changed the trajectory of their season, but one loss certainly can.
The Giants offense didn't come to play with the ghost runner, and it's notable they weren't able to stop Chicago's momentum.
Lopsided Wins Weren't Going to Last Forever
San Francisco had not one, not two, but three lopsided victories in their last seven games. Their 19-6 clubbing of the Colorado Rockies got things started, and it later turned into a 12-9 win over the Milwaukee Brewers and an 18-3 win the very next day.
Outscoring your opponent 30-12 in two games is great, but the Giants know they can't get anywhere if they're unable to win close games.
On the contrary, one would argue they thrived in a 1-0 win over the Brewers on June 3. That said, things were entirely different thanks to a Logan Webb no-hitter watch, one that was carried into the seventh inning.
Crucial Mistakes Added Up Quick
Keaton Winn only has two career saves, but he added a blown save to his resume thanks to a Pete Crow-Armstrong homer in the ninth inning. Not only was it in the ninth inning, but it came when Winn was just one out away from getting the Giants their fourth straight win.
PCA was clearly hot as he homered in the sixth, but that doesn't excuse the fact that Winn was unable to pitch around him when the lights shined the brightest.
Come the 10th inning, five pitches is all it took for fans at Wrigley Field to finally go home happy. Chicago has struggled, mightily, at home recently, but a crucial fielding error against Victor Bericoto was more than enough to score the Cubs ghost runner.
That said, the 24-year-old did come into this game late, but again, doesn't excuse the fact he couldn't execute the fundamentals in a situation that didn't ask much of him.
Should the Giants hang their heads low and think about this loss for the next 24 hours, they won't be in good shape for the series finale. Mistakes happen, it's all about how they can make sure they don't happen again as getting back to .500 is a mission that's far easier said than done with the hole they've dug themselves into.
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