Yet another bullpen failure (you've heard it before)...

At some point the Giants are gonna discover that their bullpen sucks. They aren't struggling, they aren't in a rough patch. They're just not very good.

In their latest epic failure, the San Francisco relief corps gacked away another in an ever-growing series of gacked-away contests. After leading all but one inning of Saturday's tilt at Arizona, the bullpen surrendered three runs in Arizona's last at-bat in a frustrating 6-5 loss in the desert.

We still haven't decided if this GIF is what we'd like the pen to do or what we feel like doing ourselves.

Hunter Strickland served up the difference maker a three-run shot in the bottom of the eighth, to send the Giants to their fourth loss in six games and help the woeful Diamondbacks snap a six-game skid. It was also the Giants' first loss in Arizona, where the hosts are a dismal 14-29 on the season.

But on Saturday, Arizona had a bullpen. The Giants? Uh, no. They'd get more relief sending a tub of Rolaids to the hill. It was the ninth loss charged to the bullpen this year, a nice bookend with the 14 blown save opportunities. The Giants need bullpen help and fast, and the pending return of Sergio Romo is far too little to fill the bill. 

MLB Trade Rumors cited Giants beat writer Henry Schulman in noting the Giants are searching for back-of-the-rotation help. If that's the case, any acquisition better be prepared to go nine, because these disappointments aren't gonna get enough games to the finish line.

Wants some more cheery news? LA won, the Dodgers' third straight, and that seemingly invincible eight-game lead of less than a week ago is down to five.

The Giants drew first blood against Patrick Corbin, with a bit of help. Buster Posey opened the second inning with a walk and moved to third on Brandon Crawford's single. Mac Williamson bounced a would-be double play ball to short but Jean Segura threw it away, allowing Posey to score and leaving runners at the corners.

Ruben Tejada made his first hit as a Giant count, singling home Crawford and sending Williamson to third. Samardzija hit another ball to Segura that seemed destined for a twin killing, but it clanked off the heel of the shortstop's glove. He recovered in time to force Tejada, but Williamson scores to make it 3-0. It was an inning to forget for Segura. Williamson could relate.  

The Snakes got on the board in the third  when Corbin doubled, scoring on a Michael Bourn ground out. The Giants responded immediately. Crawford and Williamson went back to back to open the fourth, with Williamson's blast going high off the scoreboard in deep center, a distance of 460 feet, to push the lead to 5-1.

Samardzija gave it back in the span of five pitches. Single, ball, RBI double, ball, RBI double. A splendid catch in deep right center by Gregor Blanco kept it from getting worse, but it was 5-3 after four innings and Samardzija was reeling.

More Blanco defense got the Giants through the fifth, the the offense went back to work. Posey and Williamson drew a pair of walks that chased Corbin after 5 1/3. Enrique Burgos, just up from AAA Reno, quashed the threat by getting Grant Green to bounce into a double play.

San Francisco would lament the missed opportunity. Jake Lamb led off the sixth with a drive high off the center field wall because that's what Jake Lamb does to the Giants and Jake Lamb was doing his Jake Lambiest to Jake Lamb San Francisco. Fortunately the Diamondbacks have but one Jake Lamb. Samardzija got Wellington Castillo swinging, Chris Hermann looking, then Yasmany Tomas made the mistake of grounding to Crawford, ending the inning.

The strikeouts were Samardzija's first since he struck out the side in the first; a run of 19 hitters. Ah, but Castillo would get even.

Crawford celebrates his long ball, back before the relievers wrecked it. (AP Photo) 

Samardzija, still in the game in the eighth having thrown under 90 pitches, gave up a lead off double to Bourn and got Paul Goldschmidt to fly out. With Lamb lurking, Bruce Bochy called for help.

Wrong number. Josh Osich walked Lamb on four pitches, then walked himself to the bench as Strickland came in to face Castillo. Four pitches, home run. Arizona 6, Giants 5. Strickland also walked Hermann as 10 of the first 12 pitches thrown by the pen missed the strike zone. Of course one of the strikes left the yard (the other was fouled off) so the down side was...?

Tomas bounced a weak ball to second for our number two and Phil Gosselin whiffed to end the inning but the damage was done. The Giants had recorded just one hit since the back-to-back jacks, Posey's two-out double in the eighth, and they had just three outs to work with and 6-7-8 coming up. 

Yeah, this was done. Sidewinder Brad Ziegler has allowed one unearned run to the Giants in his career.  Jarrett Parker singled in place of Williamson but Green went down looking, Tejada slapped into a fielder's choice and pinch hitter Conor Gillaspie smoked a ball to first that Goldschmidt snagged to end it.

Way to go, bullpen. You're the D-backs' MVP.

The Giants were outhit 9-7 with Crawford the only man in the line-up to collect more than one. Posey also walked twice, the only two freebies given up by Arizona pitching.

Samardzija went 7 1/3, getting charged with four runs on eight hits. Osich walked the only batter he faced, and he scored, while Strickland's line looked like a picket fence in two-thirds of an inning.

Instead of looking to sweep, the Giants will send Albert Suarez (3-1. 3.83) to the hill Sunday in an attempt to avoid a series loss. Arizona will turn to Robbie Ray (4-7, 4.69) who has a 1.64 ERA against San Francisco.

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