PHILADELPHIA -- After taking a few questions from reporters, Giants manager Bruce Bochy put a spin on his nightly session. He asked reporters a question.
"Has anything happened?" Bochy said.
This time of year, that refers to just one thing. Bochy was curious about the MLB trade deadline, and something had in fact happened. As Bochy spoke to reporters about the Giants' 4-2 loss to the Phillies, Trevor Bauer got dealt to the Cincinnati Reds and Yasiel Puig to the Cleveland in a three-team deal that also included the San Diego Padres.
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Bochy took interest, then smiled when asked what was cooking in Farhan Zaidi's lab. He held his cell phone up, scrolled through his call list and swore that the Giants president of baseball operations had not checked in during the night.
It was once again all quiet for the Giants, and that's what the players continue to hope they see Wednesday before the 4 p.m. deadline. First bsaeman Brandon Belt, who broke a skid with a solo homer, said he believes July is a truer statement about this team than the season's first three months.
"For me, we just hope everybody stays here and let's ride it out, because we really think we can do something special," Belt said.
The players will have to wait a few more hours to get answers, but their final statement wasn't a great one. The lineup again struggled from the right side -- this time against Drew Smyly, who entered Tuesday with a 7.69 ERA -- and Tyler Beede gave up four runs in five innings.
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The Giants are 54-53 heading into the deadline and will need a lot to go right the final two months if Zaidi allows a push. That includes figuring it out against lefties, and they haven't gotten much from Tyler Austin and Austin Slater recently. Bochy was confident they could piece it together, although that's a place to start if Zaidi wants to add.
The rotation also could use a boost, and that's no knock on Beede and Shaun Anderson, who have helped save this season. But Anderson had a rough July and Beede has given up 20 hits in his last two starts. They are promising and look like big parts of the future, but there's some danger in leaning on rookies in September and October.
Beede worked around traffic for the first three innings, stranding two in the first, one in the second and one in the third. But the Phillies put two on the board with two singles and a double in the fourth inning, and Rhys Hoskins delivered a big blow in the fifth, Beede's final frame. After a one-out walk of Bryce Harper, Hoskins crushed a two-run shot to left-center. For a second straight start, Beede's fastball command was an issue.
"I don't feel I'm pitching carefully or aiming the ball," Beede said. "I feel convicted when I throw the fastball. We'll take a look at it."
Beede said he would be excited to get a shot at meaningful starts in September, and he seems headed for that barring a great sell-off. The Giants are not concerned about his innings count and Beede solidly is in this rotation. A lot of the rest of the roster will have more trouble sleeping Tuesday.
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Madison Bumgarner still is thrown around in talks and most of the bullpen is at least a little bit on edge. Bochy and Belt both said they're looking forward to the hours after the deadline, but for now, the clubhouse must wait it out one more night, hoping not too much changes.
"It's part of baseball and it has been forever," Bochy said. "And next year we'll be talking about it again."