SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants avoided joining the wrong kind of company on Wednesday by sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals, erasing a five-run deficit to record their first three-game sweep of the season. On Friday, they had a chance to check off another box: winning a fourth straight game, a feat that every other team has long accomplished.

That box remains unchecked.

Despite Rafael Devers’ grand slam and a ninth-inning rally, San Francisco lost 7-5 to the San Diego Padres on Friday night at Oracle Park and squandered its latest chance to win four in a row for the first time this season.

The Giants, who trailed by six runs after three innings, nearly mounted a comeback in the bottom of the ninth when Bryce Eldridge stepped to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded, but All-Star closer Mason Miller punched out the rookie to end the game.

Miller retired the first two batters he faced, but pinch-hitter Nate Furman drew a six-pitch walk, then Jonah Cox laid down a gutsy, perfect bunt on a 101.1 mph heater to bring Devers to the plate. Devers, who already hit a grand slam in the fifth, drew a five-pitch walk, loading the bases for Eldridge. With the count at 2-2, Miller struck out Eldridge on a dotted 102.8 mph four-seam fastball.

“When a baseball game is 7-1, you’re kind of on the outside looking in, and you want to be in the thick of things. That’s where we got,” said manager Tony Vitello.

Devers’ second grand slam of the season was the Giants’ ninth, which ties the franchise record for the most in a single year (2015). Devers, currently sitting on 36 home runs, is now just four RBIs away from becoming the first Giant to accumulate at least 100 RBIs in a single season since Buster Posey in 2012.

Right-hander Anthony Molina was roughed up in his third start as a Giant, allowing seven runs and nine hits over three innings. In his first three appearances for San Francisco, Molina allowed three runs over 14 1/3 innings and picked up the win in all three outings. Rookie right-hander Yunior Marte kept San Francisco in the game by pitching five scoreless innings of relief.

“I think what happened is I was missing outside the strike zone,” Molina said through team interpreter Erwin Higueros. “I wasn’t executing my pitches, so that’s what happened today.”

Former Giant Robbie Ray, dealt to the Padres at this year’s trade deadline, allowed five runs over five innings with five strikeouts to four walks against his former team. Since joining San Diego, Ray has a 5.35 ERA over seven starts.

The Giants took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Cox singled, stole second base, then scored on a single by Eldridge, who extended his on-base streak to 19 games. For Cox, it was his 10th steal of the season.

San Francisco’s advantage didn’t last long. San Diego responded with two runs in the second, then landed a five-run haymaker in the third to take a commanding 7-1 lead. Ray, meanwhile, settled into a groove, retiring the side in the third and fourth. In the fifth, the Giants countered.

Andrew Knizner began the fifth with a leadoff double, and Christian Koss and Cox followed by drawing back-to-back walks to load the bases for Devers. Ahead 0-1, Ray spun a knucklecurve well below the zone that Devers chased. Ray made a great pitch, but Devers made a better swing. Devers found barrel, and the ball found the seats for a grand slam. With one swing, Devers slashed the deficit to 7-5.

“That’s the very definition of a basic concept that’s hard to do is stay to the ball,” Vitello said. “That is a picture-perfect example we could use in spring training. We could use it tomorrow with the team. Younger kids could look at it because it’s pretty hard to time up a major-league pitcher — or a lot of other pitchers, too, are tough to time up perfectly.”

Up next

César Perdomo (0-0, 0.90 ERA) will take the mound fresh off pitching six shutout innings and face the Padres’ Michael King (10-9, 3.00 ERA).