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The San Francisco Giants’ dwindling playoff hopes took another blow Wednesday as they suffered an 11-1 loss to the San Diego Padres, completing a three-game sweep at Oracle Park. The defeat marked their fifth consecutive loss, dropping them to 59-62 and into a tie for fourth in the NL West with the Arizona Diamondbacks. They now sit six games back in the wild card race, with four teams to leapfrog — a gap that’s looking increasingly insurmountable.
What stung the most wasn’t just the loss, but how it unfolded. Starter Kai-Wei Teng was shelled for six runs in just 1 2/3 innings, and a disastrous second inning set the tone. With the bases loaded, Jake Cronenworth’s soft liner appeared to be a tailor-made double play ball for Adames — until it hit second base and ricocheted into center field, scoring two runs. From there, the inning unraveled. Manny Machado’s double and a misplayed cutoff by the infield led to another run, and a passed ball pushed the score to 7-0 before the Giants had even recorded six outs.
“That was a double-play ball,” Adames said. “Something negative is in the air and we haven’t figured out how to beat it and how to be better out there… it’s hard to punch back when you’re down 7-0 in the second inning, especially the way we’ve been playing.”
Giants playoff hopes dwindle as team continues to play with no identity
The Giants’ offensive struggles have been just as glaring. Over the five-game losing streak, they’ve managed only five total runs, striking out 51 times while drawing just seven walks. Against Nick Pivetta on Wednesday, their lone run came in the seventh inning on a sacrifice fly by Christian Koss after Jung Hoo Lee’s triple. By then, the game’s outcome was long decided.
Manager Bob Melvin didn’t hide his disappointment, admitting the team may now need to focus on evaluating younger players for 2026. “You probably take a look at different complements, like we are at this point in time right now,” Melvin said. “We talk about being a pitching and defense team, and we’ve pitched well, but our defense hasn’t been good, really all year.”
The defeat also highlighted an alarming trend — the Giants have now dropped 13 of their last 14 home games, the franchise’s worst stretch in San Francisco since moving west. It’s a far cry from the energy and resilience that fueled their strong first three months.
Adames, who has been one of the few bright spots since arriving, didn’t sugarcoat the situation. “It feels like for the last two months, it’s the same story,” he said. “Nothing positive is coming… we have to be better. That’s the bottom line.”
The Giants’ next test comes Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays, but unless they can fix their defensive lapses, find consistent offense, and reignite their clubhouse energy, their season could quietly fizzle into another “what could have been.” For now, the standings say they still have a shot. The on-field product tells a different story.
