MILWAUKEE (AP) - Matt Cain received no support from the Giants' sputtering offense. That still didn't give him much solace after his outing.
Cain tied a career high by allowing 11 hits and the San Francisco Giants fell to the Milwaukee Brewers 6-0 on Sunday for their fifth loss in six games, falling into second place in the NL West behind Arizona.
"We're banged up, we know it, we're not making excuses. We've got to go out there and play our best ball to beat these teams. We're not doing it," manager Bruce Bochy said. "Offensively, we're not quite clicking. We came in here and played a very hot team. I mean, they've been sweeping everybody."
Milwaukee finished its homestand 8-1, the only loss in Friday night's opener of this series.
San Francisco couldn't figure out Yovani Gallardo (7-2), who retired 14 in a row at one point before allowing a single to Aubrey Huff in the seventh. San Francisco didn't have a runner in scoring position until two outs in the eighth.
"They had some balls that fell in and we had some balls that didn't. That can change the course of a game," Bochy said. "But their guy got on a roll there and he pitched well."
Cain (3-4) failed to pitch well again. Milwaukee took a 2-0 lead off him in the first off singles by Ryan Braun and Casey McGehee. Prince Fielder drove in a run in the third and Rickie Weeks added a two-out, two-run double in the sixth.
"You make good pitches and they find holes and things like that. So it's one of those where you can kind of take advantage a little bit," Cain said. "But I gave up three runs with two outs and that's hard to swallow."
The Giants have struggled on offense and are still reeling from the loss of catcher Buster Posey after a home-plate collision Wednesday night. Posey had surgery to repair torn ligaments in his left ankle on Sunday morning and will miss the rest of the season.
"It sounds like it went very well," Bochy said. "That's good news. The surgery went as expected and very well."
Freddy Sanchez singled in the first, his 1,000th career hit, but that was the only real highlight for San Francisco, which only managed five baserunners against Gallardo.
Brandon Belt hit a bloop single to start the eighth and pinch hitter Pat Burrell added a two-out single to put men on first and second, but Gallardo forced Andres Torres to pop out to end the threat. Gallardo finished with five strikeouts. The Giants continue their seven-game road trip in St. Louis on Monday.
"We're seeing some good pitching, we know it and it's tough sledding right now with injuries," Bochy said. "But you've got to keep pressing, that's all you can do."
NOTES: Sanchez is the 87th active player with 1,000 hits. ... Giants 3B Pablo Sandoval (right wrist surgery) will take batting practice in St. Louis and could be ready for a rehab assignment by the end of the week. The Giants expect Sandoval to take about 20 at-bats before returning, keeping him on track to return by mid-June. ... Cain is 1-4 with a 4.80 ERA over his last eight starts.
