Giants snap the streak 7-3: Elder folds in the sixth, Dylan Lee thinks he's tipping

The Braves walked into Monday's Giants makeup at 82-55 with seven straight wins and a 6-0 homestand. They walked out 82-56 after a 7-3 loss that was ugly in the sixth and worse in the quotes.

Bryce Elder was not happy. The lineup did almost nothing against former teammate Anthony Molina. The thing Walt Weiss has to live with is Dylan Lee, who just extended a second-half slide that now has a theory attached to it: he might be tipping pitches.

How a 3-2 lead became 6-3 in a hurry

Rafael Devers took Elder deep in the first (30th homer, 107.3 mph, 403 feet). Matt Olson answered with an RBI groundout. Michael Harris II went the other way in the second — 23rd homer, 103.6 mph, 401 feet to center — and Drake Baldwin's two-out single in the fifth made it 3-2.

Elder lasted 5.1 innings, eight hits, five earned, two homers. Osleivis Basabe tied it leading off the sixth. Elder left with two on and one out. Lee inherited the mess, threw a four-seamer, and Turner Hill doubled in two. Bryce Eldridge singled in another four-seamer. 6-3. Jonah Cox's ninth-inning homer off Ray Kerr made it 7-3.

Molina went five innings, six strikeouts, one walk, and improved to 2-0. Atlanta was 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Truist had 29,349 for a rainout that waited from June 18. It did not get a walk-off this time.

Lee said the quiet part

First-half Lee: 1.47 ERA in 43 innings, .143 opponent average, 34 percent strikeouts. Second-half Lee: 5.50 ERA in 18 innings over 21 appearances. Last five outings: 15.00 ERA. Opponents are hitting .556 with a .579 OBP in that stretch.

Monday he allowed Hill's two-run double and Eldridge's single in a third of an inning. After the game he did not hide.

"It's just something I'm doing with my mechanics. They obviously see something. So I'm gonna just work on it, talk with our guys and get it cleaned up."

Asked if that something is pitch tipping: "Possibly." Then: "It's a little bit easier to hit the ball when you know what's coming."

Weiss still talked like a manager who needs this guy in October. "Dylan's been great for us for several years now. For much of this year, he's been one of the best relievers in the game. He's going to be fine." Also: "He's not getting away with much." Lee's four-seamer sat 93.9 on Monday. First-half hitters were at .125 against it. Second-half hitters are not.

The homestand still counts. The bullpen has to.

Dodgers sweep, Rockies sweep, Olson's walk-off, Sale's shutout — that week is real. Atlanta is still first in the NL East. The Phillies are the ones chasing. Schwellenbach and Waldrep are still season-ending elbow cases. The rotation that is here got through August. The setup man who was supposed to make October quieter just told the room the league might be reading him.

Tuesday starts a series in Washington. The streak is over. The standings did not move enough to panic. Lee's slider getting hit at .323 after the break is the thing that can.

Bird Gang bottom line

Seven in a row dies in a makeup against a sub-.500 club, and the quote of the night is your best lefty wondering if hitters know what's coming. Fix that before the Nationals series turns into a week of the same inning. The homestand was the statement. Monday was the bill.

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