LOS ANGELES -- The Giants have made no secret of their tendency to prioritize offense over defense when assembling their lineups on a day-to-day basis. But time and again this season, they’ve paid for their inability to make enough plays behind their pitchers.
A defensive miscue by left fielder Yermín Mercedes opened the door for the Dodgers to rally for three runs in the seventh inning and sweep the Giants with a 7-4 win on Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium.
It was the first time the Giants had been swept in a four-game series by the Dodgers since June 1995, causing them to drop a season-high 16 1/2 games behind their archrivals in the National League West and two games behind the Cardinals for the final NL Wild Card spot.
All four games were decided in the late innings, but the Giants ultimately couldn’t overcome defensive shortcomings, a shaky bullpen and an offense that struggled to score early. Since June 19, San Francisco has gone 11-20, the third-worst record in the Majors behind the Nationals and Angels.
“Not good enough,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “Really frustrating. A level of play that is just not going to be acceptable for us. There’s no other way to classify it. It’s just not good enough.”
Darin Ruf launched a two-run home run off Clayton Kershaw to tie the game, 4-4, in the fifth, but the Dodgers caught a break in the seventh when Mercedes, who came up as a catcher, took a bad route on Freddie Freeman’s slicing line drive to the left-field corner, allowing it to fall for a one-out double. Freeman’s fly ball had a catch probability of 95 percent, according to Statcast.
“Not the best jump,” Kapler said. “When we talked a little bit about it, he looked up and saw sky. It happens. He wasn’t able to recover.”
The Dodgers had a pocket of left-handed hitters -- Jake Lamb, Gavin Lux and Max Muncy -- coming up in their order, but Kapler was trying to stay away from Sam Long and Jarlín García, the only lefty relievers in his bullpen following the injury to José Álvarez and the release of Jake McGee.
Kapler opted to bring in right-hander Tyler Rogers to face Lamb, who subsequently delivered a go-ahead double to right field. Lux knocked in Lamb with a single before Trayce Thompson capped the decisive rally with an RBI double that drew huge cheers from his older brother, Warriors star Klay Thompson, who was taking in the action from behind the Giants’ dugout.
Mercedes had never started a Major League game in the outfield prior to this season, though Kapler has repeatedly said he believes the 29-year-old slugger is athletic enough to handle the position. By playing him in left on Sunday, the Giants were able to insert another right-handed bat in their lineup against Kershaw, which paid off when Mercedes doubled in each of his first two at-bats of the game.
Under normal circumstances, Kapler likely would have pinch-hit for Mercedes once Kershaw exited the game after giving up four runs over 4 1/3 innings, but Mike Yastrzemski was unavailable to come off the bench due to some calf tightness.
“Mercedes has worked his [butt] off out there in the outfield,” Kapler said before the game. “He’s an athletic dude. He’s not a burner, but he’s athletic enough to make this work. Is he going to be a great, Gold Glove defender out there? I don’t think he is. I don’t think that’s the case for Darin, either. These guys are going to work as hard as they can to be ready for the moment. Sometimes a ball is going to beat them. That’s part of the equation here.”
The Giants’ defense has universally been rated as one of the worst units in baseball, ranking 29th in the Majors with -29 outs above average, though there aren’t many easy fixes given the lack of athleticism and range on their aging roster. With the Aug. 2 Trade Deadline looming, president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi could try to address the issue by bringing in younger players who could help shore up the defense, though it’s clear he’ll have other holes to fill, as well.
San Francisco could also look to upgrade its bullpen, which entered Sunday with a 5.17 ERA in July, a mark that ranked 26th in the Majors. The club’s relief depth has been thinned by the injuries to Álvarez, Zack Littell and Mauricio Llovera, though Zaidi already took a step toward bolstering the group by signing veteran Trevor Rosenthal to a one-year, $4.5 million deal.
Despite their disappointing weekend, the Giants remain within striking distance of a playoff spot, though if they continue to slip in the standings, they might be forced to reconsider their stance at the Deadline.
“I think there’s pressure to perform just because of where we’re at,” said Alex Cobb, who gave up four runs over 5 2/3 innings. “We’re in a fight with three teams right now to try to get that Wild Card spot. I think that can make you press a little bit. I don’t think any of our mindsets are on buying or selling or anything like that. You just want to win ballgames to get that playoff spot.”