WASHINGTON -- Neither a particular individual nor a single event was most responsible for the Giants' 5-2 loss Sunday to the Washington Nationals.
The Giants climbed toward last year's World Series title by winning as a team. During this season's descent from that plateau, they're proving that they can collaborate on defeats just as readily as they could with victories.
Pick a shortcomings, any shortcoming. The Giants' sixth setback in nine games was another group effort. Just not an ideal one.
Their pitching was adequate. Matt Cain recorded his fifth quality start in six outings, allowing three runs and seven hits in six innings. But he maintained the Giants' tendency to issue walks that stimulate an opponents' offense. Only one of the three batters Cain walked actually crossed home plate, but the other pair of free passes figured in Washington's scoring.
"I was off just a little timing-wise or something," said Cain (2-2). "I wasn't able to find the good rhythm and get ahead of guys. I really never gave our offense a good chance to get off playing defense and get back in real quick."
San Francisco's offense was disappointing regardless of Cain's influence. The Giants went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and are batting .075 (3-for-40) in those situations on this trip. Sunday, they succeeded only when Nate Schierholtz blooped a two-run double to left field in the second inning off Washington starter Jordan Zimmermann (2-4).
"It's going to be tough to pin these hitters down for nine innings," Zimmermann said. "You know they are going to get their runs sooner or later."
That's what manager Bruce Bochy figured in the fourth inning when he played the infield back with runners on second and third, one out and the score tied, 2-2. Jerry Hairston's grounder to shortstop scored Ivan Rodriguez with the go-ahead run.
Bochy's decision reflected his confidence that the Giants could generate enough offense to negate that run. For multiple reasons, it was the right call. But the hitters didn't comply.
"I'm very aggressive with bringing the infield in," Bochy said. "But when there are runners at second and third, I'm more apt to have them back. At the same time, it sends a message to my hitters that we're going to score. I didn't think we'd get shut out from that point."
In fact, the Giants mustered two hits in the final five innings and moved two runners into scoring position.
San Francisco had a chance to build a bigger early lead, but Miguel Tejada hacked at a 3-0 pitch from Zimmermann with runners on first and second and two outs in the third inning. Tejada's harmless grounder to shortstop ended the threat.
Bochy indicated that the veteran was given the take sign, adding without elaboration, "There was a little miscommunication there." Batting .217 overall and having had to settle for infield singles for his last three hits, Tejada seemed profoundly dismayed.
"I was taking that pitch all the way," he said. "That's the only at-bat I was frustrated with all year, as many bad at-bats as I've had. I prepared all the way through to take the pitch and then I swung at the last minute."
Similar confusion marred the Giants' defense. Cain's third-inning wild pitch with the bases loaded and two outs enabled Rick Ankiel to score the tying run. But the responsibility rested with catcher Buster Posey, who couldn't handle the sharply breaking curveball that Ian Desmond flailed at for strike two.
"That was totally me," Posey said. "I got crossed up, but it was my fault."
The Giants also got outclassed to some degree by Rodriguez. The 39-year-old catcher, who's now a backup, flashed the skills that made him a 14-time All-Star by throwing out pinch-runner Darren Ford on an eighth-inning steal attempt and stroking a two-run single off Dan Runzler in the bottom of the eighth to pad Washington's lead.
Ford nodded when asked if he was safe. Bochy said, "I thought Ford got in there. It's a big play. The call went their way."
Regardless, Rodriguez made an excellent throw, and there was no arguing with his key hit.
"He takes professional at-bats," Cain said. "He knows what he wants to do up there. He stays with his plan. He's not an easy out, you'd never question what he does behind the plate, calling a game, and obviously he still has a cannon, throwing guys out."
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