Without manager Gabe Kapler, SF Giants continue lifeless play in loss to Braves

Giants shut out on 2 hits and don’t come close to beating Braves, despite limiting dangerous lineup to 4 runs

ATLANTA — Toss that theory out the window.

Gabe Kapler was neither the Giants’ unlucky charm nor the source of their offensive woes.

Without his presence in the dugout on Friday night, when he was suspended for one game for returning to the dugout after being ejected on Tuesday, the Giants’ offense might as well have been watching from the manager’s office in a 4-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves to start a three-game series against the best team in baseball.

When Alex Cobb threw his arms up in frustration after the first pitch he threw snuck through the infield for a hit, it could have signaled the start of a disastrous night against baseball’s most dangerous lineup. Instead, it was just another bad night for a lineup that has been the majors’ softest for the better part of two months.

“I think obviously we’re all down right now, and then you show up the next day and you see that you’re still in control of your own destiny, and you get really excited and confident and expect to go out there and win the game,” Cobb explained. “You seem to lose games lately, and you just kind of go through that cycle.”

“It’s not fun riding that wave, but I think everyone believes that if you get one good week of crisp winning baseball, it can turn everything around.” We do show up every day expecting that to happen. It simply hasn’t happened. It’s aggravating.”

The Giants’ ninth loss in their last 12 games brought them closer to.500 (64-58) than at any point since the All-Star break. They were shut out for the ninth time this season, but it was the Braves who had been on a recent run of zeros; it was their third straight game without allowing a run, whereas the Giants, despite their struggles scoring runs, had managed at least one in all of their games since July 4.

Cobb, who entered his start with an 8.04 ERA, gave the Giants what they needed, keeping the powerful Braves offense in check. But their bats were silenced once more on Friday, this time by arguably baseball’s best strikeout artist, Spencer Strider, who could have used Crayolas and still sawed through San Francisco’s batters.

Strider struck out 10 batters in seven scoreless innings, including eight of the first 15 batters he faced, and a couple relievers added another trifecta, bringing the Giants’ season total to 1,146, passing the Rockies for third-most in the majors.

“His fastball jumps; it has really good carry,” said Brandon Crawford, a shortstop who struck out in all three at-bats. “For me, it was mostly offspeed in my first at-bat, so he obviously kept me off balance and I wasn’t able to catch up with the fastball.”

Wilmer Flores singled into left field on a 3-2 fastball in the fourth inning, the Giants’ first and only hit off Strider, and also reached on a hit-by-pitch to start the sixth. However, LaMonte Wade Jr.’s walk prior to Flores’ fourth-inning single was their only other base runner against the Braves’ starter, who had struggled in his two previous appearances against San Francisco (0-1, 8.31 ERA).

After forcing Strider out after seven innings and 96 pitches, the Giants mounted a minor rally, putting the first two batters reliever Joe Jiménez faced on base, but came up empty again as Brandon Crawford struck out, Thairo Estrada lined out, and Austin Slater, entering as a pinch-hitter, extended his hitless streak to 18 at-bats.

Crawford’s batting average has dropped to.194 due to a 1-for-28 slump. In addition, the 36-year-old made a critical error at shortstop in the first inning, bobbling a potential inning-ending double play ball that would have allowed Cobb to escape the inning unscathed.

What exactly is going on offensively?

“I’m not getting any hits,” Crawford admitted.

But why is this so?

“That’s a great question,” he responded. “I really wish I knew the answer.”

Crawford, on the other hand, had an explanation for the failed double play.

Matt Olson’s bat screamed at him with 109.9 mph ground ball. When Crawford fumbled the ball, Olson beat the throw to first and Ronald Acua Jr. scored the game’s first run. After two more hits, Olson also came around to score before Cobb induced another ground ball for the third out.

“I think I was a little overexcited that I caught it,” Crawford admitted. “It was a hard hit between hops.” I was just hoping it would fit in my glove, which it did. I believe I rushed it a little bit, the exchange. We obviously didn’t get the double play as a result.”

Cobb was unable to complete the sixth inning after issuing his first two walks of the night. J.D. Davis fumbled another potential inning-ending double play.

Cobb had to settle for four earned runs in 523 innings, but he could easily have pitched six innings of one-run ball.

“I think the best way to describe it is he gave us a chance, right?” said Kai Correa, who was filling in for Kapler while he was suspended. “He had two innings that could have ended on double plays made by our guys this season.” … I’m not sure you can say you expect to win (when you limit the Braves to four runs), but I’d say you accomplished your goal of giving yourself a chance.”

But, as with so many of the Giants’ chances recently, they were unable to capitalize, usually with runners in scoring position.

Flores’ single put the Giants at the corners with one out in the fourth, but the scoring opportunity was snuffed out by a popout from Joc Pederson, who is batting.177 since July 25, and a strikeout from Michael Conforto. Flores was out as quickly as the 96-mph heater reached his shoulder blades after being hit to lead off the seventh. Pederson popped up again, and Conforto grounded into an easy double play, shaking things up a bit.

“They did a good job of hitting some balls hard, but we didn’t play great defense, myself included,” Crawford admitted. “It was just a little sloppy, where we bobbled a couple balls, didn’t get a double play, and (Cobb) had to throw extra pitches, which resulted in runs.” And then we didn’t hit at all, so it didn’t really matter.”

On Saturday, the Giants will start Logan Webb and have Kapler back in the dugout.

What about his absence on Friday? “Oh, it’s really interesting,” Correa commented.

“Obviously, he has a large presence. He directs traffic, empowers people, asks the right questions, and looks at the people in charge of different areas in different circumstances, so he’s a big figure to replace. I only tried to imitate him.”