BOX SCORE

The Cubs looked to avoid a series loss on Wednesday against the San Francisco Giants after winning three straight sets.

Some bad luck in scoring opportunities, plus a tough outing from one of the Cubs’ most reliable starters spoiled those chances as the Giants beat the Cubs 12-3 at Oracle Park on Wednesday night.

The loss means the Cubs remain 6.5 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central, after the division leaders fell to the Diamondbacks. The Cubs (76-57) remain 1.5 games ahead of the San Diego Padres for the top Wild Card spot, who also lost on Wednesday.

Here are three takeaways from the loss to the Giants (65-68):

Double [play] trouble

No team in baseball had hit into fewer double plays this year than the Cubs.

Yet that play killed two rallies – and changed the complexion of Wednesday night’s game.

The Cubs showed some patience to open the game against rookie left-hander Carson Whisenhunt. Seiya Suzuki and Justin Turner drew one-out walks after Nico Hoerner led the game off with a single. It seemed the Cubs had crafted a perfect scoring opportunity to open the game. Instead, though, Carson Kelly grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Rafael Devers hit a solo home run in the bottom half of the inning that gave the Giants the lead.

Then, in the fifth inning, trailing 4-3, the Cubs loaded the bases with one out and looked primed to jump on Whisenhunt in his fifth career start. Turner was due up, a solid option given he entered Wednesday slashing .277/.319/.446 (.764 OPS) with a 112 weighted runs created plus (12 points above league average) against southpaws this season. He was hitting .276 with runners in scoring position, too.

Turner hit a grounder up the middle that appeared to be heading to center field for a single, but Whisenhunt deflected the ball, shortstop Willy Adames fielded it, flipped it to Casey Schmitt at second and Schmitt tossed it to Dom Smith at first to kill the rally.

The Giants put up a three spot in the bottom half of the inning to essentially put the game away.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell has stressed that it’s important to create opportunities throughout the game and eventually you’ll cash those in, and it’ll lead to plenty of runs. But Wednesday’s experience was still frustrating for the Cubs and their fans.

Nico’s power output

The Cubs did cash in on one of their scoring opportunities. And it came from the least surprising source, but in the most unexpected manner.

With runners on second and third and two outs, you probably couldn’t have picked a better option than Nico Hoerner, who was hitting .377 with runners in scoring position this season, the second-best mark in baseball.

Hoerner delivered with a no-doubt, three-run home run, his first long ball with men in scoring position this season.

Usually, splits like batting average with runners in scoring position even out – Aaron Judge, for example, is hitting .340 with runners in scoring position, not far from his .321 mark overall this season. But Hoerner has been consistent all season in those clutch situations, and that’s a good thing for the Cubs.

Rea’s clunker

Colin Rea start days have essentially become “win day”. Entering Wednesday, the Cubs were 18-8 in games in which he’s pitched in. He had a solid 3.96 ERA in 127.1 innings and since the start of July, he carried a 3.31 ERA.

But the Giants jumped on Rea as he allowed six earned runs on eight hits in 4.2 innings. The fifth inning is the frame Rea and the Cubs defense will probably want back.

With two outs in the frame and Devers on first, Smith singled to center field and Devers tried to go first to third. He appeared to slow down as he neared third, and Pete Crow-Armstrong’s throw had a chance, but the ball fell out of Matt Shaw’s glove and instead of an inning-ending out, the frame continued, and the Giants put up three runs, turning a one-run deficit into a 7-3 hole.