To say the Giants' offense is struggling right now would be an understatement.
San Francisco (31-23), which is averaging just 2.2 runs per game over its last nine games, and scored just seven combined runs in its three-game series against the Washington Nationals over the weekend, struggled to get anything going offensively against the American League-best Detroit Tigers (35-20) on Monday at Comerica Park.
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SIGN UP HERE The pitching, per usual, held up for the most part, with Hayden Birdsong (L, 4 1/3 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K) keeping the Giants in the game before departing in the bottom of the fifth with two runners on and one out, but San Francisco's lineup was ice-cold against Tigers righty Keider Montero (W, 5 IP, H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K).
After three scoreless frames from both teams, Detroit got the scoring started against Birdsong in the bottom of the fourth on Dillon Dingler's RBI single to left field that scored Colt Keith from second.
With Detroit leading 1-0 in the bottom of the fifth, Tigers center fielder Javier Báez was ejected after expressing his frustrations with a strike-three call by home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi.
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Later that inning, after Birdsong departed, Giants left-handed reliever Erik Miller came in with the bases loaded and one out and surrendered a two-run single to Tigers left fielder Riley Greene that extended Detroit's lead to 3-0.
San Francisco finally got on the board in the top of the sixth inning, when one-out hits from Matt Chapman and Jung Hoo Lee were followed by an RBI single off the bat of Wilmer Flores to cut the deficit to 3-1.
The Giants' bullpen pitched well after Detroit's two-run fifth inning, with Spencer Bivens tossing two shutout frames in the sixth and seventh innings before Jordan Hicks pitched a scoreless bottom of the eighth.
San Francisco's offense went down quietly over the final three frames to cap off the 3-1 loss.