PHOENIX — Some 400 miles of distance, a different ballpark and a downgrade in competition from the first-place Dodgers to last-place D-backs wasn’t enough for the Giants to shed their slow start to the second half.
Held hitless for more than half the game Monday, the Giants dropped the opener of this three-game series with Arizona, 7-0, leaving them winless in five games since the All-Star break. The five-game losing streak — their fourth of at least that long this season — has dropped them back to .500, all but negating their 7-2 stretch to finish the first half.
The Giants couldn’t muster a hit — or a base runner — off D-backs starter Merrill Kelly until the sixth, when Luis González led off with a double that just cleared the first-base bag. That failed to spark the bats, though, as he was doubled off second base two batters later, and two bunt singles amounted to their only other offense Monday night.
