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SF Giants lose third straight after rough Alex Wood start in D.C.

Alex Wood got rocked, and the Giants didn't score after the third inning in a 5-3 loss

Sean Keane

SF Giants lose third straight after rough Alex Wood start in D.C.
SF Giants lose third straight after rough Alex Wood start in D.C. /
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The SF Giants stormed the capital Friday night, and while Patrick Bailey stopped the steal, the insurrectionist visitors couldn't come away with a victory. The Washington Nationals rode a strong Jake Irvin start to a 5-3 victory, though orange and black partisans probably want a recount on some outside pitches that were called strikes late.

Alex Wood delivered a pitching performance evocative of General George McClellan in 1862: He visited Washington D.C., and he lost his command. Wood walked two batters in four innings of work, and routinely missed his spots on his way to yielding five runs and five hits, including two home runs.

Wood reportedly doesn't like coming in after an opener, but he's struggled in his two starts after the All-Star break. He gave up five hits and three walks in 3.2 innings against Pittsburgh on Sunday, and struggled right away on Friday night as well.

J.D. Davis got the Giants on the board in the first inning with an opposite-field bomb off starter Jake Irvin. Despite extensive experience playing Washington as a New York Met, this was his first home run in 25 games at Nationals Park.

Lane Thomas responded in the bottom of the first for Washington, blasting Wood's first pitch to him 413 feet to center for his 16th home run of the season. Wood's control failed him after that, walking the next two runners. Keibert Ruiz continued his 25th birthday celebration from yesterday with an RBI single to left - that turned into a double when Blake Sabol threw futilely to third base.

Wood missed a location badly to reigning National League Player of the Week C.J. Abrams, who hit the mistake pitch out of the park to right-center.

Joc Pederson tied the game in the bottom of the third, hitting his own massive home run into the upper deck in right field, scoring LaMonte Wade Jr.

Wood's control burned him once again in the fourth inning, when he hit left fielder Stone Garrett with an 0-2 pitch. The speedy Garrett came around to score on a double by Michael Chavis. He moved to third on a ground out, but Patrick Bailey personally got the Giants out of the inning. He picked off Chavis with a snap throw to third, then ran out nearly to the mound to snag an inning-ending pop-up.

The Giants were victimized by the replay department in back-to-back innings, though the call were correct both times. First, Brett Wisely hit a ball 399 feet that was originally ruled a double. It was actually a fantastic catch by Nationals center fielder Alex Call, who caught it cleanly despite the impact.

In the bottom of the fifth, after manager Gabe Kapler left Wood in to face the left-handed Abrams. Abrams got him again, singling to left and ending Wood's night. When Ryan Walker came in, Abrams got a great jump, but Patrick Bailey made an impossible throw to nail him. It actually was impossible, as the call was overturned on review.

Walker got the next two hitters, but with two outs, Joey Meneses' double scored Abrams to make it 5-3.

The Giants threatened in the seventh inning when Michael Conforto and Blake Sabol singled to finally chase Irvin. Pinch-hitter Wilmer Flores worked a walk after two questionable strikes, but the slumping Casey Schmitt, who has five hits in the last five weeks, struck out swinging.

We did learn during the telecast that Jon Miller caught "Barbenheimer" fever. After catching a late showing of "Oppenheimer" that ended after 1 AM last night, Miller returned to the same theater and watched a matinee of "Barbie" before the game. His review? Liked Barbie, loved Oppenheimer. In a highly unsurprising revelation, color man Hunter Pence revealed that he identifies with Ken.

The Giants resume the series tomorrow at 4:05 Pacific, when Logan Webb takes on Josiah Gray, and Jon Miller will hustle out of the ballpark to catch a screening of "Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning." 

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Sean Keane
SEAN KEANE

Sean Keane (he/him) is a writer, stand-up, and co-host of the Roundball Rock NBA podcast. He wrote for Comedy Central’s “Another Period,” his work has appeared in McSweeney's, Audible.com, and Yardbarker, and he's performed at countless festivals, including SF Sketchfest, the Bridgetown Comedy Festival, RIOT LA, and NoisePop. In 2014, the San Francisco Bay Guardian named Sean an “Outstanding Local Discovery,” and promptly went out of business.

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