Peavy pounded (surprise); win streak halted at eight

When you're down 5-0 before you get your first hit, you're having a bad night.

San Francisco's eight-game win streak came to an end in spectacular fashion Friday night as starting hurler Jake Peavy got spanked like the star of a "Fifty Shades" knockoff in an 8-1 home loss to the Cubs.

Just in case you wondered, Peavy wasn't good. Again. (MLB Photo)

Apparently the aliens who abducted Peavy in Arizona and replaced him with a drone in decided to return him. Dammit! Even E.T. Is telling this dude to go home. Peavy didn't get out of the second inning, surrendering five runs on seven hits and two walks. His ERA ballooned to 8.21, as did the blood alcohol level required to watch him pitch without suffering severe psychological damage.

The Cubs came into the series struggling at the plate. Well, check that off the game notes. And his poor start came on a night when the offense was less than likely to bail Peavy out.

Reigning Cy Young Award winner Jake Arietta hasn't allowed more than three runs in his last 29 starts. During the now-defunct win streak the Giants scored about 3 1/2 per game. Do the math. The final seven innings were a good time to sample various ballpark eats and try out the slide. Heck, activity in the whiffle ball park held more drama.

What we tend to do when Peavy pitches.

On the plus side, the bullpen had thrown just one inning since Sunday so there were plenty of rested arms available.

Chicago did its damage in the second inning. Peavy had pitched out of a two-on, none-out jam an inning earlier but found no such magic for Round Two.

It was vintage Peavy, who got just two outs -- on a bunt and a base running gaffe. The frame started with two singles, a sacrifice, and an RBI single by, to add insult to injury, Arietta. A walk loaded the bases and a ball off the right field bricks added a second run, with poor base running putting two men at third. 

Uh, that's not allowed. The gift out gave Peavy a chance to minimize the damage but Kris Bryant took Mr. Scream deep for three. Peavy's night was over at least one batter too late.

This guy was pretty good. (MLB Photo)

It was Peavy's shortest start since 2010 and it tied for the second shortest of his career. More important to the current situation, it was the sixth time in nine starts this season in which he failed to pitch beyond the fifth inning.

Speaking of fifths, one comes in handy when Peavy pitches. We have a standing order at Quik-E-Mart.

To their credit, the bats didn't quit. They dented Arietta in the third on three hits and a stolen base. Angel Pagan walked, stole second, and scored as Joe Panik stayed hot with an RBI single. Matt Duffy's base hit snapped an 0-for-21 skid and put runners at the corners with two out, put Buster Posey's drive to the wall ended the threat.

On a night like this you look for little victories. Arietta had been on cruise control, but the Giants worked him for 29 pitches in the frame to run his three-inning total to 51 -- so there's that.

The offense continued to grind, outing Arietta's pitch cunt into triple digits by the seventh inning, but the key at-bats seemed to be hit not quite enough or two steps in the wrong direction. A team that relied on starting pitching for the better part of two weeks simply couldn't generate enough offense to compensate for the lack of it.

Derek Law, Albert Suarez and George Kontos restored order for a bit, retiring 18 of 19 batters before the Cubs struck again as Ben Zobrist and Jorge Soler went back-to-back on Kontos in the eighth. Chicago added a bonus tally off Cory Gearrin in the ninth.

The Giants were outhit 11-6, with Pagan the only man with two safeties. Kelby Tomlinson and Trevor Brown both doubled.

Let's finish on good news. Los Angeles was upended by 7-6 by San Diego on Melvin Upton's walk-off two-run shot, and Pittsburgh edged Colorado 2-1 so the Giants' lead in the NL West remains at 3 1/2 games over both.

San Francisco hopes to start a new streak on Saturday. Matt Cain (0-5, 5.87) gets the call versus Jon Lester (4-2, 1.88).

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