Really tough loss for the San Francisco Giants last night. The game was within their grasp, but Darin Ruf flew out to the warning track in a bases-loaded situation late, and Camilo Doval surrendered a two-out, two-strike swinging bunt hit that drove in what proved to be the winning run. The SF Giants just haven't been able to consistently win this type of game, and they fall back to 45-43. If the Giants had won, they would've moved back into a tie for the NL's final wild card spot.

So it goes for the Giants this season. One major theme this year has been that the veterans haven't really done as much as they would like. That includes Tommy La Stella and Evan Longoria, who are currently on the injured list. Are the Giants a better team without them? It's a complicated question and a complicated answer, because adding them back to the roster would mean sending down a couple of players like potentially Yermín Mercedes and David Villar. Luis González is also a candidate to be optioned if the Giants decide to re-add Longoria and/or La Stella. Trading one or both seems like a real possibility at this point, although La Stella probably has almost no trade value.

Are the Giants interested in Brandon Drury? Andy Martino of SNY reported on Wednesday that the Giants and Dodgers were showing the most interest in the veteran infielder, who's enjoying a semi-breakout campaign with the Reds. Drury makes sense for the Giants as a versatile player who's having a strong offensive season. That being said, he's not really a star player, more of a complimentary player capable of exceeding expectations, as he has done so far this year. But it was hard enough to figure out how the Giants would add Longoria and La Stella back to the roster; how would they add those two in addition to another veteran like Drury? Is that what's best for this team that probably needs to look for future pieces and think about getting younger?

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The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick

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