Giants spoil Andrew Suarez's debut in 7-3 loss to Diamondbacks

SAN FRANCISCO - It’s way too early to make statements etched in stone about the Giants.

But they had a chance to give themselves a winning record Wednesday, a winning record for the series, the homestand and the season. Had a chance to feel good about themselves heading into their 10-game road trip.

The Giants missed their chance. They lost 7-3 to the Arizona Diamondbacks in front of a crowd of 35,041 and, in the process, dropped two out of three at home to the leaders of the NL West. The Giants have yet to win a series this season. They dropped four of seven games on their homestand. Their record is 5-6.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s two and a half weeks into the season, or late in the year,” Evan Longoria said after the game. “These are the must-win games for us. The starting pitching has been doing a good job. Our bullpen has been great, for the most part. It wasn’t today.

“We haven’t done much to help (the pitchers) out. They’ve been really having to grind to keep us in games. Offensively, we’ve got to do more. We’ve got to find a way to jump out ahead early and take some of the pressure off the pitchers.”

Longoria is hitting .132 this season. He was 1 for 3 Wednesday with a double down the left field line in the bottom of the fourth inning.

The Giants fought a hard, uphill battle during their three games against Arizona. They had two starting pitchers make back-to-back big-league debuts - Tyler Beede on Tuesday and Andrew Suarez on Wednedsay. The Giants haven’t had two starting pitchers make back-to-back debuts since 1976, when Bob Knepper made his first major-league start on Sept. 10 and Frank Riccelli made his the next day.

Suarez, 25, was the Giants’ second-round pick in 2015. He is a left-handed pitcher whom they called up Tuesday night from Triple-A. On Wednesday, he took the loss, and reliever Fernando Salas won for the Diamondbacks.

Before the game, Giants manager Bruce Bochy laid out what he hoped to get from Suarez on Wednesday.

“Nine innings of shutout ball - that’s all I’m hoping for,” Bochy said with a laugh.

“But, on the serious side, if he can get us in that fifth, sixth inning, we would take that this early in the season. We can take him to around 90 (pitches) - close to where we took Beede (on Tuesday). We have (Suarez) covered.”

Suarez got through the first three innings, no sweat. He retired the first 10 batters he faced and struck out five of them. The kid pitched well.

Until he didn’t.

With one out in the top of the fourth, Suarez gave up his first hit as a major league pitcher - a ground ball up the middle to Ketel Marte on a 0-1 count.

One batter later, Suarez gave up his first home run as a major league pitcher. He was facing All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who “was probably one of their coldest hitters when he came in here,” Bochy said after the game. Goldschmidt was hitting .100 at the start of the series.

On a 1-2 count, Suarez meant to throw a slider down and in to Goldschmidt.

“But I opened up a little bit,” Suarez said. “It was just a hanging spinner.”

Goldschmidt launched the hanging spinner deep past the center-field wall. Giants center fielder Austin Jackson turned and watched the ball fly. Didn’t chase it. No point. Two-run home run.

Goldschmidt was 5 for 12 in this series, with two home runs and five RBIs. The Giants helped revive him. Bad news for the National League.

In the top of the fifth inning, Suarez threw another hanging spinner, and gave up another homer - this time a solo shot to Diamondbacks backup catcher John Ryan Murphy, who gave Arizona a 3-0 lead. Murphy came into the game batting just .182.

“Sure, (Suarez) made a couple mistakes,” Bochy said after the game. “But, I thought overall it was a pretty good job.”

Suarez lasted 5? innings, struck out seven batters, gave up four hits and four earned runs. His ERA was 6.75. “I’m just glad I threw strikes.” he said. “I didn’t walk anyone. That felt good.”

In the bottom of the fifth, the Giants fought back.

They had runners on first and third with one out against Diamondbacks starting pitcher Robbie Ray, who was on fumes. He had thrown 99 pitches.

Ray’s 100th pitch was a hanging curveball, just begging to get crushed. And Buster Posey crushed it to left field - his second homer of the season. He tied the game at three.

The Giants never scored another run.

With one out in the top of the sixth, reliever Sam Dyson replaced Suarez and immediately blew the game. Dyson gave up a single, three doubles and three earned runs in just one inning of work. His ERA is 8.31.

In the clubhouse afterward, Longoria discussed the state of the Giants. “This road trip is going to be good for us, just to be able to relax. You get to sleep in a little bit more (on the road). I think that’s really going to help us. The pressures of home are sometimes tough.”

They’re feeling the pressure already.