SF Giants silenced by Chris Sale in 3-1 loss to Braves

The Giants’ once-maligned offense entered their matchup with Chris Sale boasting one of their most impressive streaks of the season, 12 straight games with at least three runs, tied for the longest active streak in the majors and the longest such stretch by the club since 2004.

Held hitless into the fifth inning, they looked like a club facing a seven-time All-Star making a strong bid for his eighth — and first since 2018 — in a bounce-back age-35 season in Atlanta while being handed a 3-1 loss to even their series against the Braves.

The Giants’ first hit of the game came courtesy of catcher Curt Casali, and he was promptly erased when the next batter, Tyler Fitzgerald, popped up the first pitch of his at-bat to right field to end the inning.

Leading off the sixth, the Giants’ designated hitter-turned-doubles machine, Jorge Soler, laced his 11th two-bagger since the start of June and came around to score their only run of the game on two-out, two-strike double from Matt Chapman two batters later.

Another two-strike knock from Chapman with one out in the ninth allowed the Giants to bring the tying run to the plate against Braves closer Raisel Iglegias, but that was all the offense they could mount, snapping their scoring streak at 12 games.

Following a 5-2 home stand with a comeback win to open their series in Atlanta on Monday, the Giants had climbed within two games of .500 entering Wednesday, and the loss was only their third in their past nine games.

Soler’s 11 doubles are tied with the Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson for the third-most in the majors since the start of June, trailing only Jonathan India (13) and Francisco Lindor (12), batting .280 with a .854 OPS in that span.

Sale struck out nine over six innings, issuing two walks before the Giants notched their first hit. The Giants’ starter, Jordan Hicks, was handed the loss, allowing all three of the Braves’ runs on eight hits while striking out six and walking two over five innings.

Five’s the magic number

As Andrew Baggarly noted in The Athletic, when Hayden Birdsong notched his first major-league win Tuesday, following Spencer Bivens the day before, it became the first time the Giants starting pitcher had earned a victory in consecutive games since May 18-19.

Leaving the game trailing 3-1, Hicks was unable to make it three in a row but did extend another meaningful streak, with an assist from Austin Slater and MLB headquarters in New York.

With two outs in the fifth, two runs on the board and action stirring in the Giants’ bullpen, Hicks didn’t look long for the ballgame, and the Braves initially appeared to have scored a third run and kept the conga line going when Travis d’Arnaud ripped a single into right field for their fourth hit of the inning.

Austin Riley came charging around third base, and Austin Slater came up firing. The throw from right field arrived at home plate at the same time as the Braves’ third baseman, and home plate umpire Ryan Additon initially ruled him safe. But upon video review, it was determined that catcher Curt Casali applied the tag in time to end the inning.

By getting out of the inning, albeit in a hole, Hicks still became the third straight Giants’ starting pitcher to complete five innings. No surprise to any member of the most-taxed bullpen in the majors, but it was the first time they’ve done that since May 24-26.

Had Hicks earned the win, it would have been the first time the Giants starters strung together three in a row since May-26, 2023.

The good news is reinforcements are on the way.

Left-hander Kyle Harrison, out since June 13 with a sprained ankle, is with the team in Atlanta and is expected to be activated in Cleveland. Fellow lefty Blake Snell, who’s made six starts all season, is expected back to start their home stand Tuesday.

And sometime after the All-Star break, they expect to pencil in Robbie Ray and Alex Cobb, who will each continue their rehab assignments this week with Ray scheduled to start Thursday for Triple-A Sacramento and Cobb on Friday.

Hjelle rebounds

Far from full strength, the Braves’ lineup isn’t quite as scary as it once was with Ronald Acuña Jr. and Michael Harris Jr. But Ozzie Albies, Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson still make up an intimidating 2-3-4 combo, and Sean Hjelle made quick work of them in the eighth inning.

Bob Melvin felt bad about allowing Hjelle to wear it in his second inning of work Saturday against the Dodgers, surrendering seven runs in the 11th inning of an eventual 14-7 loss, but just four days later in his next appearance, the 6-foot-11 right-hander showed why his manager continues to put him out there in high-leverage situations.

Hjelle needed only 13 pitches to strike out Albies, Ozuna and Olson in the seventh inning, burying breaking balls to the first two and firing a 96 mph sinker for the final out of a 1-2-3 inning that kept it a two-run ballgame.

He added a fourth punchout in a second scoreless inning of work, but it was moot, as Luis Matos flew out and Brett Wisely struck out following Chapman’s one-out single in the ninth.