CHICAGO — The Giants haven’t had many ugly losses this season. Monday’s loss qualifies as such.
Willy Adames and Matt Chapman committed two errors apiece that resulted in five unearned runs as the Giants lost to the Chicago Cubs, 9-2, on a chilly night at Wrigley Field.
Adames, who committed fielding errors in the first and sixth innings, has now made seven errors this season. Entering play, only three defenders — Lenyn Sosa, Elly De La Cruz, Eugenio Suárez — had totaled that many errors. Adames has also graded out as one of baseball’s worst defenders by both defensive runs saved (-6) and outs above average (-5).
The Cubs struck first in the bottom of the third inning when Ian Happ sent Landen Roupp’s curveball into the right-field bleachers to give Chicago an early 2-0 lead. The Giants tied the game in the top of the fourth when Luis Matos countered with a two-run homer of his own, his second home run in the last three games.
Chicago took a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the inning, thanks in large part to an error by the Giants’ best defender.
With two outs, third baseman Matt Chapman misplayed Pete Crow-Armstrong’s weakly-hit grounder, extending the inning. Nico Hoerner followed Crow-Armstrong with a single, then Dansby Swanson drove them both home with another. In total, Roupp had to throw 12 additional pitches following Chapman’s blunder.
More defensive miscues would be in store for San Francisco’s highly touted left side — miscues that contributed to a five-run sixth inning for Chicago.
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Giants reliever Hayden Birdsong, who grew up three hours south of Chicago, began his first career outing at Wrigley Field by allowing a solo home run to Carson Kelly. Following a single by Crow-Armstrong, Adames and Chapman committed errors on back-to-back plays to keep the rally going.
Following those blunders, Nicky Lopez drew a bases-loaded walk, Happ hit a sacrifice fly and Kyle Tucker drew a walk to re-load the bases. Following Tucker’s walk, manager Bob Melvin called on reliever Spencer Bivens, who allowed a two-run single to Seiya Suzuki. By inning’s end, Chicago had a commanding 9-2 lead.
