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The San Francisco Giants will have to make their push for a wild-card berth without right-hander Alex Cobb.

Cobb was placed on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a hip injury he aggravated the day before.

He left Tuesday night's 8-4 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks when his left hip, which has been bothering him since mid-June, flared up in the third inning. Cobb was throwing to Alek Thomas when he grimaced in pain after releasing a pitch. After a short discussion on the mound, Cobb left the game with medical staff.

The 35-year-old had been making his first start since Sept. 11 as the Giants had tried to give him time to manage the injury.

San Francisco entered Wednesday three games back of the third wild-card berth in the National League and needing to pass three teams to return to the postseason after missing the playoffs in 2022.

Manager Gabe Kapler said Tuesday that he saw Cobb wince and felt he didn't have enough physical strength to remain in the game.

"This is not a new event for him. It's something that he's been battling with," Kapler said. "He felt good in the bullpen, and then once he got out on the mound and he really had to finish his pitches, it started biting on him. It got to a point where we couldn't keep sending him back out there."

Cobb said the pain became too much to be an effective pitcher.

"You walk off that mound, put your team in the position that they're in during a must-win game, there's no worse feeling," said Cobb, who is 7-7 with a 3.87 ERA in 28 starts.

The Giants also put right-hander Keaton Winn on the injured list, retroactive to Tuesday, and recalled left-hander Kyle Harrison and righty Sean Hjelle from Triple-A Sacramento.

Winn, 25, is dealing with COVID-19, Kapler told reporters Wednesday. Winn owns a 1-2 record with one save and a 3.89 ERA in eight appearances (four starts) with the Giants.

Harrison, 22, is 1-1 with a 5.18 ERA in five starts this season with San Francisco. Hjelle, 26, is 2-1 with an 8.59 ERA in 12 relief appearances.

Information from The Associated Press and Reuters was used in this report.

OneOne of San Francisco’s most highly regarded sushi restaurants makes a big leap down the Peninsula today. Robin Menlo Park, a second restaurant from the team behind Michelin Guide-listed Robin in Hayes Valley, opens Wednesday, September 20 in a stunning space from Lundberg Design. The restaurant will be open for dinner from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday and reservations are already available via Resy. The only thing you won’t find on-site is a menu.

Chef Adam Tortosa, who opened the original Robin back in 2017, says he and the Menlo Park team, including operations and managing partner Michael Huffman and strategic partner Lloyd Sacks, hope Robin’s menu-less dining experience will make omakase more approachable for diners — whether they’ve eaten at similar chef-driven sushi restaurants before or not. As at the San Francisco restaurant, Robin Menlo Park won’t have a written menu for customers to peruse. Instead, staff will guide them through the meal based on their dining preferences and budget, with dinner available on a sliding scale between $109-$189. “It’s definitely not a traditional omakase experience,” Tortosa says. “We’re not trying to transport you to Japan.”

Because of the restaurant’s bespoke approach to omakase, diners are unlikely to ever have the same experience more than once. But the restaurant does have some signature offerings, which will be ported down to Menlo Park from San Francisco. On the nigiri front, expect to see Mt. Lassen Steelhead paired with yellow peach and local Half Moon Bay wasabi and, for a luxurious bite, saltwater-stored Japanese uni crowned with white sturgeon caviar from Sacramento. Sashimi might include hirame kombujime, or California halibut cured in Japanese kombu served with coconut and kabosu verjus, jicama, and smoked pineapple. The kitchen, led by head sushi chef Kentaro Ikuta, will also put out plates such as toro tartare made with morel reduced soy and sesame noodles dressed in Japanese “chimichurri” and black truffle.

Huffman says the extra space in both the kitchen and dining room — for example, there’s a separate private dining space and seats for about 50 diners in Menlo Park — will allow the second restaurant to get even more creative, although, for the first few weeks, they’re keeping things relatively tight. “So many of the limitations at Robin San Francisco are based on square footage,” Huffman says. “So [Menlo Park] will be familiar, but with more bells and whistles.”

One such “bell”? A full liquor license. Unlike at the San Francisco restaurant, Menlo Park diners will be able to order a couple of fingers of Japanese or American whiskey or a glass or bottle of sake. The restaurant partnered with Suntory to acquire one of those fancy highball machines, so they’ll be pushing carbonation into cocktails to order. The sake and wine list favors selections from the Bay Area including sake from San Francisco’s Sequoia and Den in Oakland. But those who want a bottle of grower Champagne or an old-world white, you’ll have options for that, too.

As for the space, the team says they wanted Robin Menlo Park to have its own identity but the general vibe — dark, modern, moody — will be familiar to those who’ve been to the San Francisco original. They used a roster of local artisans to create a dining room that feels eons away from the empty, new-build white box they started with. Ceramicists Nicole Pilar and Asato Ikeda crafted custom dishes and sake glasses, respectively, and Caroline Lizarraga filled one wall with a mural that echoes the one found in the first restaurant. Additional art comes from Ferris Plock, Michelle Morby, and Stan Zienka.

Huffman and Tortosa say they’ve been eyeing a second project together pretty much since they opened Robin in Hayes Valley. The restaurant has been an undeniable hit, even in a city crowded with top-notch sushi and Japanese dining options. What they say diners can find at Robin that isn’t necessarily the case elsewhere is an environment that’s intentionally more relaxed. Omakase can be intimidating and “unfun,” Tortosa concedes, but at Robin, they’re taking a “Northern California approach” — both when it comes to featuring non-traditional local ingredients and the approach to service. “We just want you to enjoy yourself,” Tortosa says.

Robin Menlo Park at Springline (1300 El Camino Real, Suite C) opens September 20 and will serve dinner from 5-9:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

The conversation around the Giants for the last month has centered on whether or not they could secure an NL Wild Card spot while looking historically inept at the plate. After Wednesday's loss, it's time for another question: Will they even finish above .500?

The Giants dropped back to that mark with a 7-1 loss at Chase Field that put them 4 1/2 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks, who also clinched the tiebreaker advantage by winning the season series on Wednesday. The Giants are 3 1/2 games behind the Chicago Cubs, who hold the final postseason spot, and also would have to leapfrog the Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds.

The deficit is bad enough, but the Giants also left the desert with the knowledge that the road ahead is even tougher. Seven of their final 10 games are against the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers and the other three are against the San Diego Padres, who all of a sudden are creeping up on the Giants in the NL West standings.

The Giants put themselves in this spot with a quiet August and even worse start to September, but they hoped that this series in Arizona could vault them back into contention. Instead, the Diamondbacks showed that they're better now and better positioned for the future, riding NL Rookie of the Year frontrunner Corbin Carroll to an easy win.

The Giants got a leadoff homer from LaMonte Wade Jr. and then settled into familiar second-half habits. They scored just the one run off Merrill Kelly, who was so dominant against them last year that coaches joked about drawing a lineup order out of a hat the next time they faced him. The Giants ended up rocking Kelly at Oracle Park earlier this season, but he gave up just three hits on Wednesday.

The third one was a leadoff double by Michael Conforto in the seventh, but he was stranded. Luis Matos flew out and Patrick Bailey grounded out, and after a careful walk of pinch-hitter Wilmer Flores, the Diamondbacks called on funky right-hander Ryan Thompson, who struck out Thairo Estrada on three pitches.

Where's The Help?

Logan Webb gave up nine hits in six innings, but four of them were bloops that left the bat at less than 80 mph. In his biggest start of the year he pitched well enough to get a win, but it was a familiar story for the team's homegrown ace.

For the 21st time in 32 starts -- and the fifth time in the last six -- the Giants failed to score more than two runs behind Webb. He is far ahead of the rest of the pack in terms of lack of run support, which is a major reason why the Giants are in this position. Webb is 9-1 this season when receiving at least three runs of support, which isn't a high bar for the offense.

Leadoff LaMonte

Wade lined the fifth pitch of the game just over the wall in right, giving the dugout an early jolt. The leadoff homer was the eighth of his career and his fifth this year alone.

After a disappointing 2022, Wade is on track to just about match his breakout 2021 campaign. He raised his OPS to .801, which is right in line with his .808 mark in his first season in orange and black. Wade needs two more homers to match his career-high of 2018.

What Could Have Been

Carroll had four hits, including a leadoff homer in the seventh, and stole two bases. He became the first rookie in MLB history to reach 25 homers and 50 stolen bases in a season, and he just about singlehandedly made the day miserable for Giants pitchers and Bailey.

The Diamondbacks have a superstar in their outfield and they've already locked him up for the rest of the decade. He's exactly the type of player the Giants are waiting for, so whatever you do, do not look up where Carroll was drafted in 2019.

You definitely do not want to look up the fact that the Giants drafted a left-handed-hitting outfielder six picks ahead of Carroll and then spent about $10 million to trade for the player who was taken exactly one pick before him, or the fact that the two Giants prospects are two of three players taken in the top 20 that year who have yet to reach the big leagues.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Another Spare the Air Alert is in effect for Thursday because of smoke coming into the region from wildfires further north in California and Oregon.

The Spare the Air Alert has also been extended to Friday.

At a virtual news conference, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District said we can expect unhealthy air quality for sensitive groups.

They also said we could still see possible impacts from the fires on Friday.

Track air quality levels with our interactive map below.

For a better experience, click here to view the full map in a new window

They say wildfire smoke is difficult to predict due to factors such as wind that can impact how it'll behave when it arrives in the Bay Area.

A Red Flag Warning continues until 5 p.m. Thursday for the North Bay Mountains. Wind gusts to 35 mph are possible with relative humidity dropping below 30%. These winds will weaken later Thursday.

ABC7 Meteorologist Lisa Argen says it will likely take until Friday for the Bay Area to see improved air quality.

Possible PG&E power shutoff

There's a high possibility some in the Bay Area could lose power on Thursday.

PG&E has raised the likelihood it's going to shut off power, a preemptive move to reduce the risk of wildfires.

Only one bay area county could be affected, Napa, and only seven customers.

It's part of a PSPS warning that went into effect Wednesday and goes into Thursday.

In total, about 5,000 customers across eight counties in Northern California may be impacted.

How to protect yourself

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Seeing or smelling smoke? Well, it's from wildfires burning in Northern California and Oregon. High winds are causing a Fire Weather Watch and could possibly force PG&E shutoffs.

Experts say if you need to, stay indoors and keep your windows closed if possible or seek out a cooling center.

Anyone who smells smoke is advised to stay inside with windows and doors closed and to set air conditioning units and car vent systems to re-circulate to stop outside air from coming inside, according to the air district.

Stanford University infectious disease researcher and physician Dr. Abraar Karan said N-95 masks can help.

MORE: Track wildfires across San Francisco Bay Area, other parts of California with this interactive map

"These will prevent and reduce the amount of these small fine particles that you're inhaling, and this will make it so that it's less likely you get these symptoms, acute symptoms, almost allergy-like, or just trouble breathing and in the long term," Dr. Karan said. "The less we are inhaling this during these big fires, the better it will be for us."

In fact, Dr. Karan said tools we use to protect us from COVID-19 can help protect us from wildfire smoke.

"We know that with the changing environment, with an increase in these extreme weather-related events, utilizing the things that we learned from COVID, like using at-home air purifiers, for instance, is something that can be applied even to outdoor air events like big wildfires where the smoke is coming into your house," Dr. Karan said.

He recommends using air purifiers and an indoor air quality monitor.

In San Francisco's North Beach at Cole Hardware Store, people were been stopping in and buying face masks Tuesday.

"I've had a couple come in but I expect more to come in shortly," said Store employee Frank O'Connell.

Residents react to the smoke

People all around the Bay Area have been seeing, smelling, and feeling the smoke.

On Tuesday, you could hardly see the Bay Bridge and from the port of Oakland, it was tough to see the San Francisco skyline.

"It's really bad. Usually, you can see East Bay," said Shruy Sethi of San Francisco.

"It's very smoky. It smells like a campfire," said Sarah Ryherd, another San Francisco resident.

Others said they could feel it in their throat and began wearing masks.

MORE: California wildfires: Expert says get used to smoky skies, bad air quality for decades to come

In the East Bay, some high schools canceled sports practices because of the bad air quality.

But Wednesday morning others down the Peninsula were practicing.

"It's definitely noticeable but it's not too bad," said Sacred Heart Prep student Timmy Donatelli, who practiced lacrosse with teammates in Palo Alto Wednesday morning. "I think last year, the fires were a lot worse but it's not too bad, especially in the morning."

"It's been pretty crazy," said teammate Blake Hetherington. "I mean, I had a workout yesterday. I walked outside and the smoke was everywhere. And you could really tell that it was in the air and you can definitely tell it's hurting our environment right now. So yeah, not good."

South Bay residents mask up amid smoky skies

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"It was super hazy. It was like yellow. But today, it wasn't quite as bad. Maybe because I had the mask on," said Phillippi.

In the South Bay, the lingering effects canceled some sports practices but didn't stop everyone from spending time outside.

Hundreds of people are enjoying Oktoberfest in downtown Redwood City tonight.

The five-day event runs through Sunday even in spite of how smoky it is outside.

"We have a couple of people in masks. But everyone seems pretty comfortable," said organizer Brandon Council.

A few miles away, at Red Morton Park, also in Redwood City, soccer practice was canceled for Austin Woodworth's 7-year-old daughter.

Woodworth says the smoke seemed worse on Tuesday.

Pickle ball player Ben Phillippi decided to take the extra step and mask up during his match. The smoke from Tuesday really got to him.

"It was super hazy. It was like yellow. But today, it wasn't quite as bad. Maybe because I had the mask on," said Phillippi.

Al Contreras says his son and 100 other kids with Redwood City 49ers are going through regular practice this Wednesday night despite the smoky skies.

Wednesday morning, the smoke created a golden hue in Palo Alto. The horizon - as expected - was filled with smoke.

In San Jose, you could see the haze across the skies - but there were no significant delays for flights.

East Bay businesses, schools make adjustments amid poor air quality

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The Lake School, a preschool near Oakland's Lake Merritt, made the difficult choice to close early, calling for the early pickup of around 40 kids.

In the East Bay, schools and businesses are making adjustments amid poor air quality conditions.

The Lake School, a preschool near Oakland's Lake Merritt, made the difficult choice to close early, calling for the early pickup of around 40 kids.

"And they were only able to play for about two hours before we had to send them home early," Stephanie Long, Interim Head of School at The Lake School said.

This happened when the Air Quality Index hit 150.

"When we're inside the classrooms, we like ventilation with all of the windows open to stop the spread of illness, when we have this bad air quality, we have to have everything shut down, and air filters running, but when it reaches the point of red, it's do we stay inside and maybe pass illnesses or do we try to have early pickups and really just keep everyone safe?" Long said.

Minutes away, Children's Fairyland, making a similar decision to close its gates early at 1 p.m.

Up until that point, they were offering masks to guests as they entered.

"With the wind, we're seeing that the smell hasn't stayed so stagnant but we can see it in the air, it's very thick with the clouds," Summer Cunningham, a Fairyland volunteer said.

Cunningham said she kept her mask on the whole time.

"We're both really sensitive to the smell, I currently can get headaches, Maddie here has a hard time with breathing, it definitely provides a lot of discomfort," she said.

Meanwhile, the Oakland Unified School District is instituting its poor air quality day protocols.

"We've been informing our staff to keep windows closed in classrooms, keep their air filters on high and to make sure that they are keeping anyone who is really sensitive to air pollution, people maybe with asthma or other things, inside," John Sasaki, a spokesperson for OUSD said.

Sasaki says if the air quality index reaches 151 or higher, all activities will be moved indoors.

But OUSD tries to avoid canceling school altogether.

"And when we have them in school, we know we can keep them inside, they won't be going outside to play, they won't be going outside to hangout with friends or anything like that," he said. "And so we know that if they're at school, they're a bit more protected, at least in certain circumstances than they might be if they were elsewhere, so we're very hesitant to actually cancel school."

The San Francisco Giants wrap up this short series against the Arizona Diamondbacks this afternoon at Chase Field.

Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Logan Webb, who enters today’s game with a 3.31 ERA, 3.22 FIP, with 29 walks to 183 strikeouts in 201 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 3-2 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Friday, in which he allowed one run on four hits with six strikeouts in eight innings, before getting totally Cain-ed.

He’ll be facing off against Diamondbacks right-hander Merrill Kelly, who enters today’s game with a 3.45 ERA, 3.81 FIP, with 62 walks to 172 strikeouts in 159 innings pitched. His last start was in the Diamondbacks’ 11-1 loss to the New York Mets on Thursday, in which he allowed seven runs on six hits with four walks and seven strikeouts in five innings.

Giants

P: Logan Webb, RHP

Diamondbacks

P: Merrill Kelly, RHP

Who: San Francisco Giants vs. Arizona Diamondbacks

Where: Chase Field, Phoenix, Arizona

When: 12:40 p.m. PT

Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area (available on fuboTV)

National broadcast: MLB Network (out-of-market only)

Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM

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