Alex Wood, Giants cannot avoid a sweep in 8-2 loss to Cubs

The SF Giants lost to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday 8-2, finishing off the team's latest road trip by getting swept and falling back to .500 for the first time in months. The Giants are 70-70 on the season and falling further behind in the National League Wild Card race. There is plenty of blame to go around for their recent failures, and it's hard to envision them turning things around over the final few weeks of the season.

Lefty Alex Wood received his first start in some time and he was quickly lit up by the Cubs offense. While reliever Ryan Walker allowed one inherited runner to score, Wood was charged with five runs across 2.1 innings pitched on five hits and a walk.

The Giants offense, which had shown signs of life on Tuesday, returned to its recent hibernation against rookie lefty Jordan Wicks. Wicks, who the Giants passed on in the 2021 MLB Draft for Will Bednar, worked around baserunners and induced plenty of soft contact. He only recorded one strikeout across 6.2 innings pitched, but allowed just two runs on nine hits.

An infield single by Luis Matos gave the Giants a lead-off runner against Wicks in the top of the seventh inning. Wicks painted the outside corner with a changeup to Casey Schmitt, and the rookie infielder lined an RBI double to right-center field. Schmitt later scored on a sacrifice fly by Joey Bart, who was called up alongside Matos prior to the game.

Schmitt has been one of the few Giants hitters showing signs of life recently. It's no secret that Schmitt started his big-league career with a bang offensively before a rough slump that eventually led him to be sent back to Triple-A. However, he's been putting together much better plate appearances recently.

In his last ten games, Schmitt is hitting .286/.303/.535 with four doubles, a home run, and seven strikeouts in 33 plate appearances. He continues to expand the zone at times, but his aggressiveness is leading to hard contact.

With a day off tomorrow, the Giants gave closer Camilo Doval some work in the bottom of the eighth inning, and he faced former Giants prospect Alexander Canario in his first career MLB appearance. Canario was acquired by the Cubs in the Kris Bryant trade back in 2021 and was called up at the start of September.

The SF Giants may have one last chance to salvage their chance at being competitive this season. They will return home to San Francisco to begin a 10-game stretch against below-.500 teams.