SF Giants end disappointing season with loss to Cardinals, securing losing record – The Mercury News

SAN FRANCISCO — For the fourth time in six years under Farhan Zaidi, the Giants ended the 2024 season with a losing record.

They had already guaranteed they would miss the postseason for the fifth time on Zaidi’s watch and ensured they couldn’t finish with a winning record for the only time besides their 107-win 2021 season, but a 6-1 loss Sunday afternoon to the St. Louis Cardinals secured a final record of 80-82.

Hayden Birdsong was handed the loss, while all seven of their hits came from the bottom half of their lineup or players who started the game on the bench, including Brett Wisely’s RBI single in the seventh inning that accounted for their only run. Dropping two of three games in their final series of the season, the Giants finished in fourth place in the NL West, 18 games behind the Dodgers, and nine games back of the National League’s final playoff position.

In six seasons since Zaidi was hired to lead their baseball operations department, the Giants have amassed a record of 453-417 (.521) but missed the playoffs five times. While they have not lost more than 83 games any of the past three seasons, they have not won more than 81, either.

Zaidi received a contract extension when the Giants hired Melvin before this season. His deal is guaranteed through 2025 with language for 2026, in line with Melvin, but that wouldn’t necessarily prevent the team from making a change. When he met with reporters in this week in Arizona, Zaidi confirmed he hasn’t received any clarity about his job status, and ownership has not provided a public show of support.

While some of the Giants’ most encouraging breakout seasons came from players who predated the present administration — Heliot Ramos and Tyler Fitzgerald — Zaidi’s regime can take credit for drafting and developing Birdsong, who got the nod on the final day of the season and looks to be a fixture in the starting rotation.

Birdsong, 23, was only drafted in 2022 but made 16 starts since debuting in mid-June with a 4.75 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 72 innings — a career-high 129⅓ between all levels — and had turned in three straight outings of five-plus innings before coming two outs shy Sunday.

Birdsong racked up 11 strikeouts, his second time reaching double digits, but paid for the pair of walks he issued to begin the fifth inning, which both came around to score. Brendan Donovan was responsible for the only other run on his pitching line, depositing a curveball over the right field wall that gave St. Louis a 1-0 lead in the third.

Donovan also drove in the first run of the fifth, and after Alec Burleson followed with another RBI single, Melvin came to get his rookie right-hander, who walked off the mound to a standing ovation, though it wasn’t the first nor the last salute of the afternoon.

Melvin had Matt Chapman take the field to begin the third inning but replaced him with Casey Schmitt, allowing him some formal recognition from the 32,348 on hand. To start the sixth, Mike Yastrzemski received a similar moment when Luis Matos took over for him in right field.

Chapman received a well-earned round of applause after leading the club virtually every offensive category, appearing in all but eight of their games (three while on the paternity list) and playing the best defensive third base in the league, according to most metrics.

Chapman is sure to be back next year after signing a six-year, $151 million extension earlier this month. But Yastrzemski’s future is less clear, and he made sure to tip his cap and acknowledge the crowd as he left the field. Yastrzemski, 34, is the longest-tenured and one of the most respected players in the clubhouse but could be nontendered if the Giants decide to move in a more youthful direction in the outfield.