The San Francisco Giants' pitching staff has been decimated by injuries. So much so that the Giants were forced to go with back-to-back bullpen games in their first two games against the Cubs. Despite the dire situation, with the team mired in a five-game losing streak, the Giants won both games. Last night, the bullpen was absolutely stellar as they held the Cubs to just one run.

Help is on the way, however, in the form of right-handed pitching prospect Hayden Birdsong, who's set to make his MLB debut tonight in the third game of this four-game series against the Cubs. Birdsong has risen quickly through the Giants' system and arrives as one of the club's top pitching prospects.

In other news, the SF Giants shuffled their pitching staff slightly ahead of last night's game. Right-hander Mason Black was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento, and lefty Raymond Burgos was optioned just one day after being added to the 40-man roster and selected to the Giants.

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Locked On MLB League-Wide: Every Team, Prospects & More

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The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all. Follow Ben Kaspick on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

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The San Francisco Giants, losers of five straight, badly needed a win. It was the Giants' first home game since last week's passing of Willie Mays, and as expected, the Giants put together a moving pregame celebration. All SF Giants also wore the No. 24 in Mays' honor.

Despite all that, the Giants fell behind 4-0 to the Cubs and looked to be headed to a sixth straight loss. But solo homers by Matt Chapman and Nick Ahmed brought the Giants closer, and Spencer Howard was excellent in relief, holding the Cubs scoreless.

In the bottom of the 9th, the SF Giants rallied for three runs to defeat the Cubs. There were huge hits up and down the lineup, and the winning run scored on Wilmer Flores' walk-off walk. In addition to discussion about last night's game, a number of key injury updates are provided.

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Locked On MLB League-Wide: Every Team, Prospects & More

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The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all. Follow Ben Kaspick on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick

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The San Francisco Giants were riding high one game into their six-game road trip against two teams they are directly competing with in the wild card race. Thairo Estrada hit a huge, ninth-inning three-run homer to give the SF Giants the lead and eventually the win. But after that, the Giants dropped their next five games and lost the legendary Willie Mays who passed away last Tuesday at the age of 93.

The Giants' five-game skid leaves them with the third-worst record in the NL, which should be unacceptable for this team. However, much of the SF Giants' struggles can be linked to the fact that they've been ravaged by injuries, particularly in the starting rotation. The eventual return of several key starters could position the Giants for a strong second-half run. They just need to stay afloat in the meantime.

One other issue that's become glaring in recent weeks has been the Giants' insane stolen base differential. Teams are running wild on Giants pitchers, despite Patrick Bailey being elite with his pop times. Meanwhile, the SF Giants are not stealing bases, leaving with by far the largest negative stolen base differential in MLB. It's a problem that must be addressed, but one that may be hard to fix mid-season.

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🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOSFGiants?sid=YouTube

Locked On MLB League-Wide: Every Team, Prospects & More

🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnMLB

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all. Follow Ben Kaspick on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)