by
Greek Giant
In last night’s heartbreaking 6-3 loss to the Astros in ten innings at Willie Mays Field the Giants suffered their seventh defeat of the season when leading after eight innings. That number seems absurd until you factor in the Giants bullpen, a series of inexperienced arms searching for some footing in their young Major League careers. It’s one thing to lose when tied after eight innings but to give up the lead and then lose in the ninth or extra innings adds an extra special level of hurt.
The disappointment is a great one for a number of reasons beginning with Blade Tidwell’s effort, a solid start that saw him last 5 2/3 innings and shutdown a surging Astros team with only one run allowed on six strikeouts and one walk. Tidwell’s effectively wild slider/slurve coupled with his 98 MPH fastball kept Altuve, Walker and company in check as the Houstonians managed only a lone run in the top of the first inning of Blade. It would remain 1-0 until the bottom of the fourth inning when Drew Gilbert’s line out to deep left scored Eldridge to tie the game. Astros starter Hayden Wesneski was shutting down the Giants easily until Eldridge’s lead off double in the inning. In the bottom of the fifth inning the Giants scored another run thanks to Jung Hoo Lee’s splash homer down the right field line. That made it 2-1 and it came off Hayden. In the top of the seventh the Astros tied the game when Cam Smith homered on a line drive to and over left field. It was a bullet. It came off Brubaker.
The Giants promptly took the lead in the bottom of the seventh inning when Drew Gilbert homered to center. It needs to be said that Gilbert had a great game with the homer, two RBIs, and two great plays in center field. His homer made the game 3-2 and the Giants were flying high until the top of the ninth.
That’s when Dylan Smith entered to try to save the game. It did not go well. After Trammell walloped a ball to center that Gilbert caught, Smith then walked the next batter, a critical mistake. That batter was Daulton Varsho and he would score the tying run on the two-out soft single through the infield to right by Cam Smith. He would try to stretch the hit into a double and get thrown out by Lee but the game was tied and we headed to the top of the tenth where the Astros scored three runs. The Giants had no answer and it became the San Franciscan’s 70’th loss of the season against 49 wins.
Willy Adames made a spectacular play earlier in the game ranging to his left. So did his Houstonian counterpart, Jeremy Pena. It was a game filled with tremendous defensive plays by both teams.
Giants Injuries Update: Susac, Chapman, Schmitt Out for Season
The Giants’ catching depth took a major blow Monday after rookie catcher Daniel Susac landed on the 10-day injured list with a left knee patellar fracture. Susac was scheduled to meet with team doctors on Monday evening to determine a prognosis, but the injury seems likely to put the rest of his season in doubt. Susac suffered the setback after fouling a ball directly off his left kneecap in the bottom of the fifth inning of the Giants’ 3-1 loss to the Tigers on Sunday. Susac immediately grimaced in pain, though he stayed in the game for another two innings before he was replaced by Cavanaugh in the seventh inning of that game.
Susac’s injury will leave the 24-year-old Cavanaugh as the Giants’ primary catcher.
The Giants are also without Jesus Rodriguez, who remains on rehab only after landing on the IL with right elbow neuritis on Aug. 1.
The Giants also announced Monday that third baseman Matt Chapman will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a core muscle injury with Dr. William Meyer in Philadelphia on Tuesday. Chapman, 33, hasn’t played since June 30 and had been anticipating this outcome since last week.
Casey Schmitt’s season is likely over after suffering a torn meniscus in his left knee on July 27. Schmitt jammed his knee after slamming on the brakes as he rounded first base.
Schmitt underwent an MRI exam on Tuesday that revealed the meniscus tear. He will undergo surgery and miss the remainder of the year. It is a terrible bit of bad luck for a player who was finally coming into his own. Losing Schmitt is a huge blow for the Giants, as the super-utility man has emerged as one of the club’s top hitters this year. He was batting .271 with a .784 OPS and ranked second on the team with a career-high 21 home runs over 98 games in 2026.
Tonight’s Game
Game two of the series against Houston takes place tonight at 6:45 PM at Willy Mays Field with Hunter Brown (3-1, 3.53 ERA) pitching for Houston. At press time the Giants have not named a starting pitcher.
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