SF Giants swept by Cubs, fall back to .500 in uncompetitive loss
The Giants owned the third-best record in the National League, as many as 13 games above .500, when their summer malaise set in. It quickly cost them that claim, sinking them fourth, then fifth and then sixth. Soon, out of the playoff picture altogether. Now extending into fall, suffering their sixth loss Wednesday in six tries since the calendar turned to September, it has robbed them of even the minimalist requirement for success, winning more times than they lose. Drubbed by the Cubs 8-2, swept in the three-game series and dropping all but one of the seven games on this pivotal road trip, the Giants sank back to .500 — 70 wins, 70 losses, few runs — for the first time since June 10. Entering this series with a chance to pull even for the second wild card, they return home closer in the standings to the Padres than the Cubs, three games out of playoff position and trailing three other teams for the final spot. “This is where you keep fighting back,” manager Gabe Kapler told reporters after the loss. “The season is 162