PHOENIX -- While the offense struggled in a 7-0 loss to the Giants on Thursday night at Chase Field, the D-backs’ rotation also needs some attention.

Alex Young (4-3) allowed five runs over five innings, finishing up what has been a rough turn through the rotation for Arizona. Mike Leake, Merrill Kelly, Zac Gallen, Robbie Ray and Young combined to pitch just 21 innings while allowing 22 runs.

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“It wasn’t a great turn,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. “Those are conversations that [pitching coach Mike Butcher] and I will have inside of the dugout. The starters just haven’t been ponying up. The belief is while they’re struggling, we can still find a way to win baseball games. One area, one person, one situation can’t carry the workload, so that’s what we talk about here -- it’s going to take a whole village to do what we need to do and go to where we need to go to.”

Having some of the starters step up took on greater urgency due to some injury news earlier Thursday.

Ray, who was counted on to be the anchor of the staff following last month’s trade of Zack Greinke, was placed on the 10-day injured list after back spasms ended his start Wednesday after three innings.

“The starters need to step up a little bit and get the job done,” Lovullo said.

The D-backs felt Young might be one of the ones to step up. The rookie left-hander had pitched very well up until his last start against the Dodgers, in which he allowed four runs in 3 1/3 innings.

Young found himself behind in the first inning Thursday when Evan Longoria delivered a two-run single to left. He settled in until the fifth, when Longoria once again was a thorn in his side, hitting a three-run homer to put the Giants up, 5-0.

“Just pitches that were up and they capitalized,” Young said. “Like I said last [start], just trying to be too perfect. So that’s something that I need to work on. I don’t think my command is gone; I think it’s just trying to be too perfect with it.”

The loss was a costly one for the D-backs in the standings, as they lost one-half game in the National League Wild Card chase to fall 3 1/2 games behind the Cubs for the second Wild Card spot.

It’s not just the games back that the D-backs have to consider, but it’s also that there are three teams between them and the Cubs and the Giants are now tied with the D-backs at 61-61.

The loss was the second in a row for the D-backs, who had hoped they had some momentum going after winning the first two games of their last series in Denver.

A walk-off loss Wednesday ended their short winning streak, but in the opener of a homestand, they felt good about their chances against Dereck Rodriguez, who came into the game with a 5.32 ERA.

Not only did the offense muster just three hits, but the D-backs did not manage to get a runner as far as second base.

“Usually I’m walking in thinking about my opening remarks and statements that I want to make,” Lovullo said after entering the postgame interview room. “And I really don’t know what to say about this game. Once again, sometimes things happen on a baseball field that leave you scratching your head. So, frustration? I can’t measure it. It’s one of those things where I have to have faith in the guys that they’re going to keep grinding and keep plowing and find a way to learn from today and not allow it to happen again.”