Armless Giants Fan Throws Out First Pitch With His Foot [VIDEO]
JANIE McCAULEY, AP Baseball Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The San Francisco Giants are reaching new lows at home where they have been far more reliable in recent years on the way to three of the past five World Series championships.
The Giants set a San Francisco record with their ninth straight home defeat in a 5-1 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Monday, the franchise's worst since the 1940 team lost 11 straight at the New York Polo Grounds that September.
"You get in a skid like this, sometimes they do press," manager Bruce Bochy said. "Why at home? That is hard to explain but I do think we have two or three guys pressing a bit. We faced a good arm tonight, though. He was throwing hard tonight. But still, it's four games now that we've battling to get this offense going and we just can't generate anything."
Tim Hudson (4-6) received one or fewer runs of support for the eighth time in 13 starts and lost his 23rd career interleague game to match Derek Lowe and Barry Zito for most all time.
The Giants have been outscored 45-17 during their home skid. They lost against the American League at home for only the third time in 14 regular-season games since the beginning of 2014.
"It wasn't too long ago we (had) one of the best averages in baseball offensively," Hudson said. "I don't think our team's changed too much in a week. I feel like it's just a little bit of a tough stretch."
Nori Aoki hit an infield single in the second for the Giants' lone run after Seattle went ahead in the first on Nelson Cruz's grounder.
Kyle Seager hit his 11th home run with a solo shot in the eighth and Taijuan Walker struck out six in seven innings for Seattle.
Logan Morrison hit a go-ahead single in the fifth to support Walker (4-6), who outpitched Hudson to win consecutive starts for the first time all season.
World Series champion San Francisco lost its fifth straight overall for its third losing streak of five or more this season.
"Every day you have to believe you're going to come out of it," Bochy said. "Hopefully tomorrow we'll get this offense going again."
The Mariners added on in the fifth on a fielding blunder when second baseman Joe Panik scurried backward and tried to catch Austin Jackson's popup in shallow center but missed the ball. It didn't appear center fielder Angel Pagan called him off, while right fielder Jarrett Parker also hustled to the play.
Jackson singled home an insurance run in the ninth.
The teams played once previously at AT&T Park, during the ballpark's opening season in 2000 when Seattle took two of three from June 9-11 that year. It was 58 degrees for first pitch this time in mid-June, pretty typical for a San Francisco summer.
Seattle's leadoff hitter reached on a single in four of the first six innings against Hudson, who allowed eight hits and three runs in five innings.
Pagan snapped an 0-for-19 hitless stretch with his first-inning single.
CRAWFORD'S GLOVE
Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford made a trio of snazzy plays in a 1-2-3 seventh. He made a diving stop on Morrison's grounder, then another nice throw on a groundball by Jackson before catching Robinson Cano's hard liner.
"Pretty impressive," Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Mariners: LF Mark Trumbo was receiving treatment for his back spasms after they forced him to be a late scratch from Sunday's game. ... RHP Hisashi Iwakuma threw a three-inning simulated game at Safeco Field and is set to start for Class-A Everett on Saturday. He also will join Triple-A Tacoma before rejoining the Mariners from a stint with a strained lat muscle. ... LHP James Paxton, on the DL since May 29 with a strained left middle finger, is set to begin playing catch next week.
Giants: OF Gregor Blanco hasn't experienced any dizziness since Sunday morning and was riding the stationary bike again Monday as he recovers from a concussion. He is eligible to come off the seven-day list Tuesday, but it likely will be more like Wednesday or Thursday. ... RHP Matt Cain (elbow) struck out seven, walked two and allowed three earned runs on six hits in 3 1/3 innings in his rehab start for Triple-A Sacramento. ... RHP Jake Peavy (lower back) will start for Sacramento on Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Mariners: LHP J.A. Happ (3-2) looks to bounce back from the shortest start of his career at 2 1/3 innings at Cleveland on June 11.
Giants: Tim Lincecum (6-3) will face his hometown team in the afternoon finale before the clubs shift to Seattle for two games.
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