We’ve been pretty frustrated with the Tigers’ lack of quality relief players this season, but considering the number of injuries among the pitchers, it’s impressive that they continue to keep them in the game. The problem is that the lineup is back to being full of Triple-A players, and the Giants had no trouble shutting them down on Saturday to take a 2-0 lead in the three-game series.

Another day, another bullpen game, as AJ Hinch and Chris Fetter continue to struggle with a pitching staff full of weaknesses. Meanwhile, things are getting worse for the lineup, too. Wenceel Pérez was placed on the injured list after Friday night’s game with an abdominal strain, and Akil Baddoo had to fly to San Francisco early in the morning, presumably getting little to no sleep to get to the game on time.

They had a difficult opponent in the form of right-handed sinkerballer Logan Webb. He had no problems at all with the Tigers in the first innings.

Alex Faedo started the game for the Tigers, and they were no doubt hoping to get two or more innings out of him. That didn’t happen, as Faedo began the game by ripping a lot of pitches far from the glove side of the plate. He loaded the bases in the bottom of the first inning, but miraculously escaped with a strikeout, a pop-up, and a flyout that put all three baserunners on base.

That loss of control meant Faedo was out of the game after one inning. Big left-hander Brant Hurter took over and had a much better handle on his thing. Hurter hit 95 mph and showed off his good slider and changeup combination for a 1-2-3 second inning. Webb mowed down the Tigers again, scoring a third perfect frame, and it was Hurter’s turn again in the second half.

The Giants put their two best hitters at the top of the lineup. Hurter got batter Tyler Fitzgerald to hit a flyout to Ryan Vilade in right field, then blew Heliot Ramos off the field with a high fastball and froze Michael Conforto with a nasty sweeper for strike three.

Baddoo hit a one-hopper off Webb’s glove for a leadoff single to open the fourth inning and give the Tigers their first baserunner. Colt Keith was thrown out on a groundout, moving Baddoo to second base. Justyn-Henry Malloy struck out after a hard strike away from the base, and Gio Urshela hit the ball hard, but it flew into right-center field, leaving Baddoo standing.

Hurter did his best Webb imitation, quickly getting three ground outs in an eight-pitch inning, one for each infielder except Bligh Madris at third base.

The fifth inning began with Madris fetching out to center field. Parker Meadows then hit a deep drive to right-center field and raced around the bases for a triple. Dillon Dingler fell behind 0-2 when the Giants drew in their infield and then hit a small bounce just past the mound. The Giants tried to bring Meadows home, but he was too fast on contact and everyone was safe. 1-0 Tigers. Javy Báez was frozen by a front door slider for strike three and Vilade struck out with momentum to end the top half of the inning.

Mike Yastrzemski opened the bottom half with a blinder just over the outstretched glove of Colt Keith for a single. Jerar Encarnacion hit a single to left, and a poor throw from Baddoo to third base allowed Encarnacion to take second base. Brett Wisely followed with a line drive off Madris’ glove for a two-run double. Hurter struck out Fitzgerald for the first out of the inning, but Ramos hit a single up the middle to make it 3-1. There weren’t many hard hits, but everything seemed to find a hole.

Hurter managed to get away from Conforto with two wild chases on sweepers that threw him out. Chapman then threw a ground ball to Báez that bounced into his chest. He recovered the ball but had to hurry and hopped it to Madris at first base, who couldn’t catch it. Between Baddoo’s throw and Báez’s failure to make that play, they had really put their rookie pitcher in a bind. There were a couple of hard-hit grounders in the inning, but still nothing got airborne. Hurter got Patrick Bailey to hit a ground ball to Báez to finally end the inning.

Webb got the first two outs in the sixth inning, and then Malloy hit a drive into the left-center field gap for a double. Gio Urshela fell behind 2-0, but Webb got a little wild and let him walk. That gave Madris a chance to score a run, but a liner in the opposite direction was caught out of the air on a great play by Matt Chapman at third base to put the Tigers away. That was the Tigers’ last chance to mount a comeback.

Hurter allowed a two-out walk to Encarnacion in the bottom half, but got Wisely to fly out to end the sixth.

Báez hit a single to right center with two outs in the seventh inning, but even after 100 pitches, Webb had no problems with Ryan Vilade. The right fielder flew out to right field, ending the Tigers’ half of the inning.

Shelby Miller took over in the bottom half and Tyler Fitzgerald greeted him with a single. Miller couldn’t hold the runner and Fitzgerald stole second base with ease. Heliot Ramos struck out while watching a fastball in the bottom of the zone. Fitzgerald made another great leap and stole third base, but Miller struck out Conforto and struck out Chapman to escape without allowing a run.

Tyler Rogers took over for Webb in the eighth inning. Mark Canha dived to steal a sharp ground ball from Baddoo early in the inning. Colt Keith slammed a one-hopper to third base, and Chapman made another great play, grabbing the ball and firing a strike to first base. You had a feeling the Tigers weren’t going to win this game. More likely, you felt that way early in the game. Malloy struck out and the Tigers were down to their final three outs.

Joey Wentz, who still seems to be around, took the lead in the eighth inning. Patrick Bailey hit a hot grounder to third base, and the Tigers’ poor defense continued as Urshela let the ball pass just under his glove to left for a single. Canha threw the ball out, but Yastrzemski hit a line drive in the opposite direction for a single. Dillon Dingler walked, perhaps for the fourth time in the game, to calm his pitcher down. They got Encarnacion to hit a grounder to shortstop, and then Wentz hit Wisely with a cutter down and away, leaving both runners behind.

The Giants’ new closer, Ryan Walker, took the lead and finished things off. When a drive from Urshela Ramos’ glove found center field, the Tigers’ chances seemed nil. However, Madris got a walk and Meadows hit a single to center field to give them at least a chance at a comeback. Dillon Dingler was frozen by a hard fastball that swung back and hit the outside edge, and so it was Javy Báez’s turn. Javy needed a few tight throws to take the lead, then took a couple of strikes. He got a hanger to tie it at 2-2 and sank it in the foul, then chased a slider downfield for strike three.

RHP Keider Montero will face RHP Hayden Birdsong in a freshman duel as the Tigers look to secure a .500 win on a road trip out West on Sunday.