SF Giants swept by Rays, go winless on East Coast swing as offensive struggles continue
The Giants left San Francisco last weekend for their six-game East Coast trip with 13 wins. They now return to the Bay Area with the same 13 wins.
After being swept by the Phillies in Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park, the Giants suffered their second straight sweep and sixth straight loss with a 10-inning walk-off 2-1 defeat to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday afternoon at Tropicana Field.
“On the mental side, it’s a confidence challenge,” manager Tony Vitello told reporters postgame. “Confidence is a choice, but it’s not an easy choice. A lot of times it’s dictated by results and outcomes, and we literally had nothing to show for the road trip.”
The Giants plan to call up top prospects Bryce Eldridge and Jesus Rodriguez from Triple-A Sacramento to help the offense ahead of Monday’s series opener against the Padres, league sources confirmed to this news organization.
This marks the first time that the Giants (13-21) have gone winless on a trip of at least two teams since July 2022, when they were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks. And whether it’s the offense’s alarming cold spell or the bullpen’s sudden struggles, the six losses alone don’t fully encapsulate the brutal nature of this last week.
For one, three of the losses on this trip were of the walk-off variety. That includes both ends of Thursday’s doubleheader, which marked the first time that the Giants have been walked off twice in one day since 1956. And on all three occasions, the walk-off defeats were preceded by San Francisco’s bullpen failing to preserve a one-run lead.
Sunday afternoon was Walker’s first appearance since blowing a save in Game 1 of the doubleheader, and the cross-firing right-hander squandered another lead by allowing the game-tying run in the eighth. In the bottom of the 10th, Jonathan Aranda hit a bloop single off Caleb Kilian to score the winning run.
There’s also the matter of the offense, which remains the worst in the majors. Over six games against Philadelphia and Tampa Bay, San Francisco’s offense only scored nine runs and didn’t hit a single home run. And of those nine runs, five of those runs were scored in Game 2 of Thursday’s doubleheader.
The Giants remain last in the majors in runs per game (3.11), home runs (19), walks (69), and steals (nine). They’re also 29th in OPS (.642) behind only the New York Mets (.628).
“I don’t think there were two at-bats that were stacked together that were quality at-bats,” Vitello said of Sunday’s offense. “There were a couple of at-bats, if you’re going based off hard contact, I think back-to-back that were good. We didn’t string any of that stuff together.”
Right-handed starter Tyler Mahle pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings with five strikeouts to one walk, continuing an odd trend. Beginning with his second outing of the season, Mahle has alternated between not allowing a run and allowing at least five runs in a start. Through seven starts, Mahle has a 5.00 ERA over 36 innings.
“He’s kind of been that way,” Vitello said. “I don’t want to say off and on, but it was better - or good - and then not as good the next time, then good, and then not as good the next time. He’s kind of found his rhythm, and he’s been exceptional, I think is the proper word, the last few times out.”
The Giants struck first in the top of the first, taking a quick 1-0 lead against the Rays’ Steven Matz. Rafael Devers legged out a hustle double on a bloop hit that didn’t even leave the infield, then scored on a single by Casey Schmitt that Rays second baseman Ben Williamson just missed snagging on the fly.
Mahle looked like he was going to end his afternoon on his own terms in the sixth when Tampa Bay’s Ryan Vilade hit a potential inning-ending double play ball. Instead, shortstop Willy Adames couldn’t field Vilade’s grounder cleanly and the Giants didn’t record an out.
Vitello lifted Mahle for left-hander Matt Gage with runners on first and second and one out, and Gage managed to slither his way out of trouble. He struck out Jonny DeLuca for the second out, and after walking the bases loaded, he got Cedric Mullins to harmlessly fly out to preserve the one-run lead.
Despite the error in the sixth, Adames helped preserve the Giants’ thin lead in the seventh. Rays pinch-runner Richie Palacios tried stealing second base with no outs, but Adames went up the baseline to snag catcher Eric Haase’s throw, then made an athletic tag of Palacios for the out.
Walker entered in the bottom of the eighth but couldn’t preserve the one-run lead. Junior Caminero drew a leadoff walk, then went from first to third on a single by Aranda. With no outs and runners at the corners, the Rays put on the squeeze play. Vilade laid down a bunt to the right side of the infield, and while Devers played the bunt as well as possible, Caminero scored to tie the ballgame.
Kilian pitched a scoreless ninth inning to send the game to extra innings, but following an intentional walk of Caminero, Aranda ended the series with a bloop single.
Next up
Following six games on the East Coast, the Giants fly home to San Francisco for a six-game homestand beginning on Monday against the San Diego Padres. San Francisco will call up a starter for Monday’s game, the consequence of using right-hander Adrian Houser for Thursday’s doubleheader instead of using 27th man Trevor McDonald.
Carson Whisenhunt was a possibility to start on Monday, but he will not be available because he started Sunday for Triple-A Sacramento. McDonald, who hasn’t pitched since April 24, could get the nod.
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This story was originally published May 3, 2026 at 1:27 PM.