SF Giants’ losing streak hits six games with loss to Rays

SAN FRANCISCO — For the three innings on Friday night, the Giants returned to playing their April brand of baseball.

They stole bases. They stacked extra-base hits. They cashed in with runners in scoring position. All the things they did during the season’s first full month. The next six innings, by contrast, were emblematic of how they’ve played over the last two months.

They wasted numerous opportunities. Landen Roupp allowed five runs over three-plus innings in his first start back from the injured list. Casey Schmitt, already filling in for the injured Matt Chapman, was hit by a pitch and sustained a right forearm contusion that will keep him out for several days at the minimum. By night’s end, the Giants had lost 7-6 to the Tampa Bay Rays.

The losing streak has hit six games. The Giants are not only 59-63, but they’ve lost 14 of their last 15 games at home — something that hasn’t been done since 1901. The third NL wild card spot remains open as the New York Mets continue to free fall, but San Francisco remains five games back as the losses pile up.

“We can’t get our timing right with anything,” said manager Bob Melvin. “We had a nice little lead early on, scored runs early in the game, added on — something we haven’t done. We just gave up too many runs.”

San Francisco’s offense had true life to begin the night, scoring six runs and going 3-for-6 with runners in scoring position through three innings.

The Giants used speed to manufacture two of those runs, a component of their game that’s been nearly nonexistent in recent months. Willy Adames stole second in the first inning, and Jung Hoo Lee did the same the following frame. Following their steals, Adames and Lee would both be driven home.

Along with his steal, Adames launched a solo homer to right-center field for his 19th home run of the season. It was one of three runs that the Giants scored in the third, and they owned a 6-3 lead by inning’s end.

From there, the offense went radio silent.

Six runs of support would normally be more than enough for Roupp, but the right-hander wasn’t at his sharpest in his first start back from the injured list. Roupp’s velocity noticeably dipped as the night progressed, dropping from the mid-90s in the beginning to the low-90s by the end.

“I’m not really happy with it,” Roupp said. “Obviously, good to be back and get the start tonight. But the guys put up six runs; that’s way more than enough to win a game. I kind of just kept the Rays in it the entire time I was out there.”

The lack of runs after the third wasn’t due to a lack of chances. With the score tied at six in the bottom of the eighth, the Giants loaded the bases with no outs. Schmitt and Christian Koss were both hit by pitches — Schmitt was removed from the game after being plunked — and Jung Hoo Lee singled, setting up a golden opportunity to score the go-ahead run late in the ballgame.

The Giants would not score.

Bailey smashed a 99.6 mph line drive that was caught by shortstop Ha-Seong Kim. Drew Gilbert couldn’t plate a run, hitting a grounder to first baseman Bob Seymour that was thrown home for the force out. With two outs, Heliot Ramos hit into an inning-ending force out and the opportunity was squandered.

The Rays, by contrast, wouldn’t let their opportunity to take a late lead go to waste in the top of the ninth. All-Star releiver Randy Rodríguez, making his first pitching appearance since August 6, allowed an RBI single to Yandy Díaz and gave the Rays a 7-6 lead going into the bottom of the ninth.

Rafael Devers set the table to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth with a leadoff double, but the Giants couldn’t generate the big hit to push across the tying run.

“Obviously, we’re going through a rough patch and we just got to get out of it,” Roupp said. “Every baseball team goes through it, but we have to figure out a way to get out of it. None of this is fun. Losing isn’t fun. We want to play better for the fans.”

Chapman discusses right hand injury 

Matt Chapman spoke with reporters following Friday’s loss, detailing how he’s been playing through discomfort since returning last month from the initial right hand injury.

“I’ve just been trying to push through it, do what I can,” said Chapman, who received two cortisone shots. “I think from constantly playing, the inflammation and just kind of kept going and I couldn’t get ahead of it. We’re hoping this cortisone shot … can kind of get me over the hump. That way, I can be productive and help the team win.

“I’m willing to push through anything for the team and try to help it. These last few days, I really felt like I couldn’t use my hand when I was swinging. It just didn’t feel right.”

Chapman believes his right hand will fully heal during the offseason when he has time to rest, but the five-time Gold Glover affirmed that he still has goals of “playing a lot of games this year and helping this team.”

Meeting of the Seymours

According to Baseball Reference, there have only been five players in major-league history with the last name “Seymour.” Three of those five — the Giants’ Carson Seymour and the Rays’ Ian Seymour and Bob Seymour — happened to play in Friday night’s game.

Not only are all three rookies, but Friday was Bob Seymour’s debut. Appropriately enough, Carson Seymour faced Bob Seymour, a first baseman, in the top of the sixth inning. After going hitless in his first two at-bats, Bob Seymour reached base for the first time as a big leaguer by drawing a walk.

Ian Seymour allowed two runs over 3 1/3 innings of relief with four strikeouts.