SAN FRANCISCO -- With the way the Giants have maneuvered through games and embraced flexibility, it normally wouldn't at all be a concern that their newest addition was immediately forced to throw two innings in extras with the tying run on second just about the whole time. But it wasn't a great sign when that player then had to grab a bat, too.
The Giants ran out of players on Wednesday and couldn't get the necessary big hit before it happened. They watched the Mets do it instead, with former Giant Kevin Pillar hitting a three-run homer off new addition Tyler Chatwood in the top of the 12th.
A few minutes later, Chatwood was forced to bat for himself because Gabe Kapler had nobody else left. He has emptied his bench all season long and it's a big reason why the Giants are 78-43, but on this day they came short, losing 6-2 as they aimed for a sweep.
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"This loss sucked because we kind of put it all out there, gave everything we had, used every piece of our roster, and came up empty," Kapler said.
For most of the day, this looked like it would be one of the better wins of the year. Anthony DeSclafani went down to an ankle injury in the second but the bullpen hung tough, getting a one-run lead to closer Jake McGee. He couldn't hold on. McGee allowed a run for the fourth time in six appearances, sending the game to extras.
It ended up looking like a rough day for the bullpen, but it shouldn't have ever gotten that far. The Giants got a run in the third but the only other one came in the 11th, and that was due to a runner being placed on second. On a day when the pitching and defense were there, the imposing lineup had a rare silent game.
The heart of the order -- Kris Bryant, Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford and Mike Yastrzemski -- combined to go 0-for-17. The Giants struck out 14 times and left 10 runners on base.
San Francisco Giants
"It was a tough day for the middle of our lineup and the lineup that has some core pieces that have carried us, not just since the All-Star break with Bryant but pretty much all season long," Kapler said. "Sometimes you're going to have those days."
Those failures at the plate left it to Chatwood, who showed good stuff but paid for a sinker to Pillar. Chatwood said that was his first time entering a game with a runner on second.
"It's different, but I've got to go out there and do my job and get outs," he said.
On his first day in orange and black, Chatwood threw 43 pitches -- 11 more than in any Blue Jays appearance -- because there was nobody left in the bullpen. He joined a group of relievers in serious need of Thursday's off day, and the situation could get stickier if the Giants don't get good news from DeSclafani's MRI. They are already without Johnny Cueto.
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After the game, both Kapler and DeSclafani expressed optimism. DeSclafani said he felt pain as he was pushing off the mound in the first inning, but he's hopeful.
"This wasn't rolling it, it just kind of happened from pitching," he said. "It's just irritated. I think there's a lot of positive things about it. It's just about double-checking with some imaging and I think it's just going to be day to day."