SAN FRANCISCO — Oslevis Basabe looked like he had a beat on the ball. Cam Smith had the speed to leg out an infield single, but if Basabe could keep the ball in the infield, that would be more than enough. If he could stop this ball, he could prevent the tying run from scoring. So, Basabe laid out, extended his left arm, made contact with the ball — and sent it straight into right field.
The Astros tied it in the ninth, then they secured the win in the 10th. Despite Blade Tidwell’s solid start and solo homers from Jung Hoo Lee and Drew Gilbert, the Giants endured their second extra-innings loss in the last two days, a 6-3 defeat that put them a season-high 21 games below .500.
“There’s a whole basket full of learning points that everybody behind me — and me — need to learn from and move forward,” said manager Tony Vitello. “At the same time, we’re kind of out of room for learning points. I realize where at a point in the year where we’re trying to get some guys some looks, if that’s a fair way to say it, but we’re trying to win ballgames.”
Reliever Dylan Smith was one strike away from securing a 3-2 win in the top of the ninth, but the Astros’ Cam Smith snuck a single into right field past Basabe to score pinch-runner Nick Allen to tie the game. Right before Cam Smith’s game-tying single, Dylan Smith allowed Allen to advance to second on a wild pitch.
After scoring the equalizer in the ninth, the Astros scored three runs off Jason Foley to take the lead for good. Jeremy Peña gave Houston the lead with an RBI single, then Isaac Paredes drove in two more with a double. One of the runners that Paredes scored was former Giant LaMonte Wade Jr., who drew a pinch-hit walk.
Vitello doesn’t have a deep bench by any means, but he made two curious non-decisions by allowing two left-handed hitters in Gilbert and Grant McCray to face lefty Josh Hader. The Giants’ (49-70) only two real right-handed options were Eddys Leonard and Buddy Kennedy, but it wouldn’t have been outlandish to send up one of them for Gilbert or McCray to avoid a very tough left-on-left matchup.
Loss aside, Tidwell impressed in his second start of the season and is making an early case to stick in the rotation, allowing three earned runs over his last 10 2/3 innings with nine strikeouts to two walks. The right-hander averaged 95.6 mph with his four-seam fastball (up from 94.7 mph in his last start) and topped out at 98.3 mph. The 12 whiffs he generated with his sweeper are the most that a Giant has totaled with a breaking ball in a single start this year.
Along with Tidwell, there were also contributions from Gilbert, who hit his fifth home run of the year and chased down fly balls and line drives all night long. Vitello is plenty familiar with Tidwell and Gilbert sharing a field, having coached them both at Tennessee.
“Drew showed it last year, but he’s playing good ball overall, but there’s more in there that I think he can ignite into the dugout or the clubhouse or just in general on the field,” Vitello said. “He’s at his best when he’s playing intense, but under control. It’s a delicate balance, but he was doing it tonight.”
“He plays with such a great energy,” Tidwell said of Gilbert. “It was nice to see him go out and do what he did today. He helped me out in the outfield tonight — all the defense did, actually. Whenever he comes through, it’s electric.
The Astros scored the game’s first run on a sacrifice fly by Jose Altuve in the top of the first, but Drew Gilbert provided the equalizer in the bottom of the fourth with a sacrifice fly of his own.
Lee gave the Giants a 2-1 lead in the fifth by hitting his career-high ninth home run of the season, a solo shot that nearly landed in McCovey Cove. The Astros’ Cam Smith tied the game in the seventh with his own solo home run, but the Giants took a 3-2 lead right back on a solo homer from Gilbert, his fifth home run of the season.
That score held until two outs in the ninth, when Smith delivered the game-tying single that set the Giants’ latest loss in motion.
New Giant Morgan discusses hectic day
Catcher Zach Morgan started his day in Las Vegas with Triple-A Sacramento but ended his night in San Francisco, called up for the first time in his career after Daniel Susac landed on the injured list.
The Giants added Morgan to the roster before first pitch, but the 26-year-old rookie didn’t arrive at Oracle Park until the third inning. His flight from Las Vegas departed at 4:40 p.m., then he landed in San Francisco at 6:30 p.m. and got his bags at 6:50 p.m. Luckily for Morgan, he avoided traffic on his way to the ballpark.
“It’s kind of funny. You’re on the plane watching the game, and you’re like, ‘Hey, I’m on the roster. I might be able to get in the game here soon.’ But yeah, it’s pretty surreal. Just all of it’s been a surreal day.”
Morgan, who attended Lincoln High School in Stockton, grew up a Giants fan and recalled being at Game 1 of the 2012 World Series when Pablo Sandoval hit three home runs.
San Francisco Giants’ Rafael Devers (16) heads to first base after striking out against the Houston Astros to end the eighth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Christian Koss (50) fields a ball hit by Houston Astros’ Christian Walker (8) in the fifth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. Walker was thrown out at first base. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Basabe Osleivis (39) can’t grab a single hit by Houston Astros’ Cam Smith (11) which scored Houston Astros’ Nick Allen (20) to tie the game in the ninth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. Smith was thrown out at second base. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Willy Adames (2) talks to San Francisco Giants’ Dylan Smith (66) during their game against the Houston Astros in the ninth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Jung Hoo Lee (51) celebrates his solo home run with San Francisco Giants’ Willy Adames (2) against the Houston Astros in the fifth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Basabe Osleivis (39) fields a ball hit by Houston Astros’ Yordan Alvarez (44) in the third inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. Alvarez was thrown out at first base. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Christian Koss (50) makes a catch for an out on a ball hit by Houston Astros’ Taylor Trammell (26) in the first inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Jung Hoo Lee (51) makes a catch for an out on a ball hit by Houston Astros’ Daulton Varsho (18) in the second inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Jung Hoo Lee (51) heads to the dugout after grounding out to end the game in a 6-3 loss to the Houston Astros at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Bryce Eldridge (8) celebrates his double against the Houston Astros in the fourth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Dylan Smith (66) watches as the pitchers mound is worked on during their game against the Houston Astros in the ninth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Rafael Devers (16) tosses his helmet after striking out against the Houston Astros in the eighth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Houston Astros’ Cam Smith (11) celebrates his solo home run against the San Francisco Giants in the seventh inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
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San Francisco Giants’ Rafael Devers (16) heads to first base after striking out against the Houston Astros to end the eighth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)