Giants blow another lead, drop series to Mariners in dose of reality

SEATTLE — So much for that second-half reset.A strong end to the first half provided the Giants a rare dose of good vibes to enjoy over the All-Star break, and a convincing win when play resumed gave them something to dream on.Reality returned over the weekend, which ended in a second straight defeat and a series loss to the Mariners, a team that looked totally overmatched in their first meeting just 72 hours earlier.Robbie Ray was out of the game by the fifth inning, Casey Schmitt committed a pair of errors and Tony Vitello’s questionable managerial decision set up Luke Raley for a pinch-hit home run that ultimately proved to be decisive in a 6-3 loss Sunday.The Mariners are one of the majors’ worst teams against left-handed pitching, and besides a two-run rally started by one of Schmitt’s errors, things had mostly gone smoothly using the combination of Ray and fellow southpaw Sam Hentges.Everyone enjoying an immaculate summer afternoon at T-Mobile Park could have predicted that Seattle would sub in Raley or Dominic Canzone, two righty mashers with huge platoon splits, once the Giants went in the other direction with their pitching assignments.Presumably that includes Vitello, who called on Adrian Houser to begin the sixth inning nonetheless.All 14 of Raley’s home runs entering the game had come against right-handed pitchers, and it took only two pitches for that number to increase to 15.Houser, one of the majors’ most homer-prone pitchers, took over a tied ballgame and served up a pair of home runs in a matter of two innings that put it out of reach for the Giants.He recorded one hard out, then left a changeup over the middle of the plate that Raley smashed over the 380-foot sign in right-center field.

Cole Young, who hit the go-ahead homer the previous evening, blew the game open with a two-run shot to right the following inning.Bryce Eldridge opened the scoring in the first inning with his second home run of the series — his 10th of the season —...