SAN FRANCISCO >> For the fourth time in six years under Farhan Zaidi, the Giants ended the 2024 season with a losing record.

They had already guaranteed they would miss the postseason for the fifth time on Zaidi’s watch and ensured they couldn’t finish with a winning record for the only time besides their 107-win 2021 season, but a 6-1 loss Sunday afternoon to the St. Louis Cardinals secured a final record of 80-82.

Hayden Birdsong was handed the loss, while all seven of the Giants’ hits came from the bottom half of their lineup or players who started the game on the bench, including Brett Wisely’s RBI single in the seventh inning that accounted for their only run. Dropping two of three games in their final series of the season, the Giants finished in fourth place in the NL West, 18 games behind the Dodgers, and nine games back of the National League’s final playoff position.

“Regardless of what our record was here, it was going to be disappointing based on what we felt the team was all about to start the season,” manager Bob Melvin said. “We got some guys some playing time, some guys some feel-good moments. But 81-81 (or) 80-82, it wasn’t going to feel that much better, regardless.”

In six seasons since Zaidi was hired to lead their baseball operations department, the Giants have amassed a record of 453-417 (.521) but missed the playoffs five times. While they have not lost more than 83 games any of the past three seasons, they have not won more than 81, either.

Zaidi received a contract extension when the Giants hired Melvin before this season. His deal is guaranteed through 2025 with language for 2026, in line with Melvin, but that wouldn’t necessarily prevent the team from making a change. When he met with reporters last week in Arizona, Zaidi confirmed he hasn’t received any clarity about his job status, and ownership has not provided a public show of support.

A resolution one way or the other should arrive by Tuesday, when Giants officials are scheduled to meet with the media for their annual postseason debriefing.

While some of the Giants’ most encouraging breakout seasons came from players who predated the present administration — Heliot Ramos and Tyler Fitzgerald — Zaidi’s regime can take credit for drafting and developing Birdsong, who got the nod on the final day of the season and looks to be a fixture in the starting rotation.

Birdsong, 23, was only drafted in 2022 but made 16 starts since debuting in mid-June with a 4.75 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 72 innings — a career-high 129 1/3 between all levels — and had turned in three straight outings of five-plus innings before coming two outs shy Sunday.

“He pitched better than 4 1/3 and three runs,” Melvin said of Birdsong’s pitching line. “That down and away fastball, down and away breaking ball has really helped him. At the top of the zone, obviously he can get swings and misses up here, but it he can can go north-south and really dial in that down-and-away spot, where he got a lot of them with that fastball and slider, it’s going to make him a lot better. He’s got a lot of reasons to feel good about how he pitched today.”

Birdsong racked up 11 strikeouts, his second time reaching double digits, but paid for the pair of walks he issued to begin the fifth inning, which both came around to score. Brendan Donovan was responsible for the only other run on his pitching line, depositing a curveball over the right field wall that gave St. Louis a 1-0 lead in the third.

“Happy I could punch guys out. It was fun to do that again. But I know what I need to work on,” said Birdsong, who also issued 43 walks this season. “Obviously I need to work on controlling the strike zone. ... Just pound the zone earlier.”

Donovan also drove in the first run of the fifth, and after Alec Burleson followed with another RBI single, Melvin came to get his rookie right-hander, who walked off the mound to a standing ovation, though it wasn’t the first nor the last salute of the afternoon.

Melvin had Matt Chapman take the field to begin the third inning but replaced him with Casey Schmitt, allowing him some formal recognition from the 32,348 on hand. To start the sixth, Mike Yastrzemski received a similar moment when Luis Matos took over for him in right field.

“Being the last game, we wanted to get them an applause,” Melvin said.

Chapman received a well-earned round of cheers after leading the club in virtually every offensive category, appearing in all but eight of their games (three while on the paternity list) and playing the best defensive third base in the league, according to most metrics.

Chapman is sure to be back next year after signing a six-year, $151 million extension earlier this month. But Yastrzemski’s future is less clear, and he made sure to tip his cap and acknowledge the crowd as he left the field. Yastrzemski, 34, is the longest-tenured and one of the most respected players in the clubhouse but could be nontendered if the Giants decide to move in a more youthful direction in the outfield.

Whereas Brandon Crawford addressed the crowd over the public address system after their final game last year, it was Logan Webb and then Chapman who took the microphone and delivered brief messages to the remaining fans.

“We’ve talked about the core of younger guys, but it’s also really important to have two established players, big-time players, All-Stars, and a big part of this going forward,” Melvin said. “Whether it’s recruiting players — everyone knows them in the game — but to have those guys here, embracing San Francisco, embracing this team, I think it means a lot and it means a lot to our younger players, as well.”