PHILADELPHIA -- The Giants had one final opportunity to make their case to president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi that they deserve to keep their roster together and get a shot at making a playoff run in Bruce Bochy’s final season as manager.
But rather than extend their stretch of inspired July play, the Giants regressed to their early season form, falling 4-2 to the Phillies in Tuesday night’s series opener at Citizens Bank Park.
In their final game before Wednesday’s 1 p.m. PT Trade Deadline, the Giants mustered only four singles against left-hander Drew Smyly, who fired seven scoreless innings in his second start for the Phils, one of the teams San Francisco is chasing in the National League Wild Card race. Brandon Belt and Stephen Vogt launched pinch-hit home runs off reliever Nick Pivetta to cut the deficit to two in the eighth, but it was too little, too late for the Giants.
“These guys have really been playing well,” Bochy said. “To come here against a good team, hey, we lost a game. That’s going to happen. It’s not like anybody here looks at one game as a difference-maker right now. Four o'clock tomorrow, we’ll know exactly what’s going on.”
The Giants now stand at 54-53 following an MLB-best 18-6 mark in July, but it wasn’t the best lasting impression as Zaidi continues to weigh offers in the final hours leading up to the Trade Deadline. Long viewed as a seller, San Francisco managed to challenge that narrative with its impressive July run, but Tuesday’s defeat resurfaced many of the flaws that hampered the club earlier this season, particularly its inconsistent offense and inexperienced rotation.
While the Giants have won seven of their last 11 games, they’ve been outscored 43-34 during that stretch, raising questions about the sustainability of their recent success. Staying afloat in the crowded NL Wild Card race will likely require reinforcements, such as another right-handed bat that can help bolster the offense in the wake of the injury to Evan Longoria, who is expected to miss several weeks with plantar fasciitis in his left foot.
The Giants could also use some help in the rotation, where they’re currently relying on a pair of rookies in Shaun Anderson and Tyler Beede, who gave up four runs on 10 hits over five innings against the Phillies. After posting a 1.66 ERA over his first three July starts, Beede has now allowed eight runs on 20 hits over 10 2/3 innings over his last two outings.
“I feel good with where I’m at,” Beede said. “My stuff is too good for me to be giving up 10 hits for my last two outings. For the most part, it’s just me needing to be better with location.”
Zaidi will have to take all these factors into account as he decides whether to hold onto impending free agents such as Madison Bumgarner and Will Smith or trade them in exchange for prospects who can better position the Giants for the future. While Zaidi reportedly remains engaged with other teams on Bumgarner, San Francisco seems unlikely to move its longtime ace unless they’re overwhelmed by the offer. The future of Smith and fellow relievers Tony Watson and Sam Dyson is less clear, as the Giants have a lot of bullpen depth that should allow them to remain competitive, even if they decided to subtract from that surplus.
Following Tuesday’s game, Bochy held up his blank phone screen to show that no trades appear to be imminent. The Giants are hoping that Wednesday stays quiet, too.
“We just hope everybody stays here,” Belt said. “Let’s ride this thing out, because we really think we can do something special.”