Well, at least it'll be over soon

It was your prototypical San Francisco Giants outing. They faced in early deficit, the bullpen imploded (again), and the offense was ill-equipped to compensate for either.

Buster provides the highlight. Singular. (Getty Images)

Makeshift starting pitcher Albert Suarez did what makeshift starting pitcher Albert Suarez does, giving up three runs in four innings of work. But those three runs occurred before Suarez recorded a single out, putting the Giants in a bind from which they never recovered in a 7-2 loss to the El Paso Chihuahuas Friday night in San Diego.

AndFacing a lineup littered with minor-league callups, the Giants still struggled, once again turning a mediocre Picture appear to be a world-beater. Edwin Jackson was the beneficiary of the Giants ineptitude for the second time this season. San Francisco's bats put up a little resistance, dealing yet another blow to the team's  already dim and fading postseason hopes.

Remarkably, the 81-73 Giants do still have hope. New York was victorious but St. Louis lost, leaving the Giants clinging to that final wild-card spot. The Mets sit one game ahead in the number-four position; St. Louis lurks just one-half game back of the Giants.

Suarez got into immediate trouble in the San Diego first, giving up single, double, and Will Myers's three-run homer to put the Giants in the hole from which they simply couldn't dig out.

The Giants did appear to put up a fight, scoring twice in the top of the fifth inning. Buster Posey did the damage, stroking a two-run double to the gap in right-center, scoring Denard Span and Angel Pagan, both of whom had walked ahead of him. But it all came crashing down in the bottom half of that same inning.

Matt Reynolds was the embodiment of all of the Giants bullpen woes. He surrendered a single and a double to open the inning then intentionally walked will Myers to load the bases, giving him a bevy of force opportunities against Ryan Schimpf. Reynolds walked him on four consecutive pictures to chaseHome a run.. A two-run single followed and the Giants were in a 6–2 ditch; while Reynolds was headed for the bench without having recorded an out. 

Anybody got an idea? (Getty Images)

George Kontos came on, getting out of the inning  but also surrendering an inherited runner on a sacrifice fly; part of one of the more entertaining double plays of the year. The San Francisco relief corps settled down after that, retiring the 11 of the last 13 San Diego batters to close the proverbial barn door well after the last of the horses had departed the corral.

Offense to leave the Giants did little to help themselves. In addition to Posey's shot, Suarez, Hunter Pence and Joe Panik also had two-baggers to account for the offensive output.

Suarez allowed five hits, three in the first inning, before getting a bench-eye view of Reynolds's meltdown. Kontos, Joe Nathan, Josh Osich, and even Santiago Casilla finished it out with walks by Nathan and Casilla the only blemishes.

The Giants will try to start another of their infamous one-game win streaks on Saturday, matching Madison Bumgarner (14-9, 2.57 ERA) and his eternal search for career win number 100 against San Diego's -- Cosart (0-4, 5,63 ERA), just the kind of guy they've habitually made look like Sandy Koufax reborn.

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