The FIVE Blown Leads That Are Crushing the Giants' Season Right Now

Alright, 12s, what a night! While our Mariners were out there dropping a 4-0 shutout on the Tigers, absolutely dominating on the road, there's some wild stuff going down in the National League that feels way too familiar to any of us who've bled blue and green for years. The San Francisco Giants are on an absolute rollercoaster of a road trip, and they just had *another* brutal gut punch in Chicago. We're talking historic highs mixed with soul-crushing lows, and it’s gotta make you wonder what’s going on with their late-game execution.

Historic Highs, Gut-Wrenching Lows: A Trip to Forget

This Giants’ 10-game marathon through Denver, Milwaukee, and Chicago has been a total head-scratcher. They’ve had some monstrous wins, like an 18-3 romp against the Cubs on Friday, and other victories where they put up 15 and 13 runs. That’s pure firepower! But here’s the kicker: they've also been on the wrong end of *two* walk-off losses. Oh, and get this: they actually hit grand slams in all three cities, a feat only the 1983 California Angels and 2023 Houston Astros have pulled off on a three-city trek. That's some serious history right there. Yet, despite those fireworks, manager Tony Vitello is probably tearing his hair out after they lost for the fifth time this season when leading in the ninth inning or later. Ouch.

What Went Wrong in Chicago? Everything.

Saturday’s game against the Cubs was a perfect storm of late-game disaster. The Giants were up 2-1 in the ninth, one out away from a win, and then it all went sideways. In the tenth, with automatic runner Eric Haase on second, they couldn't get him to third, let alone score. Vitello straight up said, "You've got to get that (automatic) runner over to third base, then get your knock (hit). Then we ended up not getting the knock." Then the Cubs, in typical fashion, made them pay. Michael Busch slapped a single to right, sending Dansby Swanson to third. Giants right fielder Victor Bericoto then let the ball roll right under his glove as he rushed to stop Swanson, who looked like he was being held up anyway. Just like that, a gifted walk-off win for the Cubs. Wild, right? Especially since Cubs manager Craig Counsell benched Swanson for a "few days away from the game" due to a .180 batting average. He scored the winning run without even swinging the bat!

What's Next for the Giants?

The Giants are finally wrapping up this grueling road trip tonight against the Cubs, a night game nationally televised. Right-hander Trevor McDonald (2-3, 4.50 ERA) is on the mound for them, never having faced the Cubs before. The 25-year-old has been solid, allowing three or fewer runs in five of his six starts this season, including three runs over five innings in an 8-3 loss to Milwaukee on Tuesday. They'll face 34-year-old righty Jameson Taillon (2-5, 5.13 ERA), who's 1-1 with a 6.88 ERA in four career starts against San Francisco. After this, it’s home to start a new series against Washington. Let's just say they'll be happy to get back to their own beds. Here’s hoping our M’s keep this momentum going, and we don't have to see our boys blowing those kinds of late leads!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.