Bullpen disappoints as slide continues

SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants, who not long ago were poking around the fringes of contention, are slipping into the abyss so often predicted for them months ago.

After a discouraging 8-5 loss to the Brewers on Saturday afternoon at AT&T Park, the Giants fell a season-worst 17 games under .500. They have lost eight of nine.

This defeat was particularly crushing because the Giants had a three-run lead against Brewers ace Ben Sheets, making his first appearance since he started in the All-Star Game.

The lead evaporated in the sixth amid a nightmare inning that featured two walks, a hit batsman, a wild pitch and an error.

“It’s frustrating because that was an easy game to win,” said Jonathan Sanchez, who would have been in line for the win before he and the a string of relievers collaborated on the terrible finish. “The whole team is frustrated about losing those (kind of games).”

The Giants led 4-1 as Sanchez took the mound in the sixth. Sanchez had been wobbly, but he had persevered through the first five innings, striking out eight.

With one out, Sanchez gave up a double to Corey Hart, and then he walked Bill Hall and Mike Cameron, bringing manager Bruce Bochy from the dugout with a hook.

Keiichi Yabu entered and provided no relief whatsoever. He chucked a wild pitch off the backstop so hard that the ball bounced back toward catcher Bengie Molina. Molina got it in time to flip to Yabu for a play at the plate on Hart, but the throw was errant and allowed a second run to score.

“For two runs to score on the same wild pitch, that shouldn’t happen,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “We had a play on both of them and we didn’t get an out.”

Yabu then hit Jason Kendall with a pitch. After getting the second out, Yabu allowed a two-run double to Rickie Weeks, putting the Brewers up 5-4.

Since June 22, Yabu has faced 48 batters and 27 of them have reached base.

“Right before the break he was throwing better,” Bochy said. “He didn’t have his good command today and that is not like him. We will have to sit down with him, but he is fine, just not that sharp right now.”

Yabu said there is no reason to be concerned because he’s keeping his pitches down.

The Giants took Yabu off the hook for the loss by tying the game in the bottom of the inning, but the Brewers retook the lead on the first pitch of the seventh. Prince Fielder hit an Osiris Matos pitch into McCovey Cove, his second homer in two games in the series.

While the Brewers tacked on two insurance runs over the final three innings, the Giants did not get a hit against Brewers relievers Carlos Villanueva, David Riske and Salomon Torres.

“We’ve got to get some guys stepping up in the pen,” Bochy said. “We’re not getting it done.”

Omar Vizquel had two hits, including his first extra-base hit since May 21, but he had to come out of the game after fouling a ball off his left foot in the sixth.

X-rays were negative and Vizquel is day-to-day. Vizquel said he expected to be available today, but he figured Emmanuel Burriss would be starting anyway, since the Brewers are pitching a lefty, Manny Parra.

Ray Durham and Rich Aurilia were again out of the starting lineup because of the flu. Aurilia was used as a pinch-hitter.

Tim Lincecum is scheduled today for his first start since he missed the All-Star Game because of an illness. Bochy said Lincecum won’t be on a pitch-count.

“He says he’s good to go, but we’ll watch him during the course of the game,” Bochy said. “If we see any signs of fatigue, we’ll get him out of there.”

Fielder’s “splash hit” was the 17th by a visiting player since the ballpark opened in 2000. Houston’s Lance Berkman is the only other visitor to hit a homer into McCovey Cove this season.

Second baseman Eugenio Velez, who was sent down earlier this season in part because of poor defense, made a nice play on a ground ball over the middle.

You can reach Staff Writer Jeff Fletcher at 521-5489 or jeff.fletcher@pressdemocrat.com.