The San Francisco Giants had a chance to cut their deficit in the wild card race down to 3.5 games, but instead they lead San Diego trailing in the standings by a season-high 7.5 games. The Giants won the first game of the series, and were in position to win the next two, but lost both in crushing fashion. They rallied against Padres closer Josh Hader in the middle game, only to lose on a walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth. They led 4-0 and 7-6 in the finale, but both times the SF Giants came up with big innings, they allowed huge innings in the bottom half. The Giants simply don't do enough to win often enough.

At this point, the Giants must get red hot or the hill will be too steep to climb. The opportunity sets up well, at least, since the Giants' next 12 games are against teams below .500. They haven't had an easy times with those teams this year by any means, but it represents one last good opportunity to make up ground. If they tread water or lose ground, the season will be pretty much over, barring some kind of miracle.

Joey Bart's ankle injury is discussed, as is the Giants' sloppy defense in the finale on Wednesday. J.D. Davis has been a bright spot since he was acquired at the trade deadline, but he has made a couple of bad throws recently that severely hurt the Giants. Wilmer Flores made one as well. The Giants' defense and bullpen has been a huge reason for their demise this season and it shows no signs of getting any better with this current group of players. It will likely be the Giants' downfall in 2022.

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

🎧 Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg

🎧 Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD

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

#SFGiants #FirstListen

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!

Built Bar

Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.

BetOnline

BetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!

Blue Nile

Make your moment sparkle with jewelry from Bluenile.com. And, going on now is the Blue Nile Anniversary Sale … Save up to forty percent on classic fine jewelry pieces and twenty-five percent on engagement ring settings. Shop stress free and find your forever piece. Go to BlueNile.com today.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Did you know every week, nearly 40 million job seekers visit LinkedIn? Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/LOCKEDONMLB.

Vroom

With Vroom, you can buy a car entirely online, and have it delivered straight to you, so you never have to go to a dealership again. So, next time you need to buy a car, just grab your phone, go to Vroom.com and check out thousands of great cars.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices