MILWAUKEE — Ostensibly, the Giants are nonetheless in a playoff race.
However their actions Wednesday counsel in any other case.
On the sector, they couldn’t get well from 5 runs leveled in opposition to Kyle Harrison and fell again to .500 in a 5-3 loss to the Brewers.
Hours earlier, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported the staff had positioned a trio of veterans — relievers Taylor Rogers and Tyler Matzek and second baseman Thairo Estrada — on irrevocable waivers, making them obtainable to any staff prepared to pay the rest of their salaries.
Whereas it’s not unusual for gamers to finish up on waivers this time of 12 months, it’s additionally not an indication of religion in a staff’s possibilities after they put their beginning second baseman and a fixture of their bullpen up for grabs on the going fee of wage aid.
Even after their win within the opening sport of the sequence, the Giants (67-67) entered Wednesday with 2.7% odds of creating the postseason, in keeping with FanGraphs, and the loss dropped them 6½ video games again of Braves (73-60) for the ultimate wild card, behind two different groups: the Mets (69-63) and Cubs (68-66).
Estrada has been one of many majors’ worst hitters this season, however his defensive acumen at second base and $4.7 million wage might make him a sexy bench piece for a contender seeking to shore up their center infield. Rogers has a 2.45 ERA in 54 video games this 12 months and 83 profession saves however has seemingly fallen out of favor in San Francisco, relegated to largely low-stakes conditions, with a 12 months and $12 million left on the contract he signed earlier than final season.
With the emergence of Tyler Fitzgerald and the Giants’ anticipated pursuit of Padres pending free-agent shortstop Ha-Seong Kim, Estrada had been a candidate to be non-tendered this winter, and others in the identical bucket — akin to outfielder Michael Conforto — might face related fates if the Giants’ fall additional out of rivalry.
It didn’t take lengthy for Estrada to show he might nonetheless contribute, poking the Giants’ first of solely two hits off Freddy Peralta into left area to steer off the third and forcing a poor throw from third baseman Joey Ortiz within the seventh that allowed Matt Chapman to attain their first run of the night time.
Estrada was one in every of two gamers within the Giants’ lineup with a number of hits, whereas Conforto doubled dwelling a run and scored one other to chop the deficit to 5-3 within the eighth.
Regardless of pitching on further relaxation, Harrison wasn’t capable of full 5 innings for the third time in 5 August begins.
Reaching a career-high in innings the final time he took the mound, the Giants skipped the 23-year-old left-hander the final time via the rotation. He took the mound Wednesday with 9 days of relaxation since his final begin and appeared recent for the primary 4 innings, permitting solely two runners to succeed in base, however hit a wall within the fifth.
William Contreras delivered the ultimate blow of the five-run inning with a 435-foot, two-run blast on Harrison’s 92nd and last pitch of the night time. The lights flashed and the Brewers’ catcher celebrated his shot proper in entrance of Bob Melvin, rounding third base because the supervisor made his strategy to the mound.
In 5 August begins, Harrison has a 6.12 ERA in comparison with the three.69 mark he had via his first 18 begins of the season.
