Giants Drop Series to Nationals After Missed Opportunities

Coming off a game in which the bullpen blew the game, the San Francisco Giants entered Tuesday’s matchup against the Washington Nationals looking to even the series at one game apiece.

Ultimately, it would not work out in the Giants’ favor as they fell 6-3 and dropped the series to Washington.

Adrian Houser took the mound for San Francisco after a solid outing against the Milwaukee Brewers last week, when he allowed two earned runs over 4.1 innings. Looking to provide more length and reset after recent short outings, Houser instead ran into trouble early.

The Nationals jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a two-run home run by Luis Garcia Jr.

Following the homer, Houser settled in and found his rhythm. He finished with 4.1 innings pitched, allowing four hits and three earned runs while striking out six. He threw 77 pitches, 48 of which were strikes.

While the strikeout total and overall effectiveness were encouraging, Houser’s inability to work deeper into the game remained the biggest issue.

The outing marked Houser’s fourth consecutive start in which he failed to complete five innings. Although his ERA sits at 5.54, he has generally kept the Giants within striking distance in recent starts.

The concern continues to be length rather than run prevention, as his pitch counts have remained relatively manageable outside of his May 30 start in Colorado.

Sam Hentges followed Houser and escaped the fifth inning without allowing a run. Hentges threw 26 pitches, including 14 strikes, and worked around some traffic on the bases.

Offensively, the Giants struggled to capitalize against Nationals starter Andrew Alvarez. Although Alvarez ran into trouble with his walk numbers, San Francisco was unable to convert those opportunities into runs during his four scoreless innings.

The Giants finally broke through in the fifth inning after piecing together several baserunners.

FINAL: Nationals 6, #SFGiants 3

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) June 10, 2026

Jung Hoo Lee delivered a double to right field that scored Luis Arraez and Rafael Devers, cutting the deficit to 3-2. 

Despite getting back into the game, the Giants continued to waste scoring chances throughout the night. They finished 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position and stranded 13 runners on base.

The bullpen also encountered difficulties later in the game.

JT Brubaker worked a clean sixth inning and returned for the seventh, but after allowing a leadoff single to Jacob Young, he was removed from the game.

Erik Miller entered and struggled immediately, allowing a hit to James Wood before issuing a walk. A wild pitch brought home Washington’s fourth run, then Miller allowed an additional walk before being replaced by Dylan Smith.

Smith recorded the first out of the inning but then surrendered a walk that forced in another run, though it was unearned. He eventually settled down and completed the inning without further damage.

The Giants had another prime opportunity at the bottom of the seventh inning when they loaded the bases with two outs. However, Buddy Kennedy lifted a fly ball to center field that was caught to end the threat.

Bryce Eldridge hit a homer in the ninth before the Giants fell 6-3 in a game defined by missed opportunities. San Francisco consistently put runners on base but failed to deliver the timely hits necessary to capitalize, leaving numerous scoring chances unfulfilled.

With the loss, the Giants dropped the series against Washington. They will look to salvage the finale on Wednesday with Robbie Ray scheduled to take the mound. Ray enters with a 4-6 record and a 4.12 ERA. The Nationals are expected to counter with Foster Griffin, who has put together a strong season with a 7-2 record and a 3.63 ERA.

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