The Giants’ sinking season is easy to explain. Just glance at the disabled list.

But what about their missing edge? What about all the fun they used to have? What about the grown men wearing thongs and leather briefs?

Where’s the Machine?

When the Chicago Cubs’ Randy Wells shut them down last September at Wrigley Field, the Giants responded by holding an emotional, players-only meeting. Future World Series MVP Edgar Renteria wept openly. Then the Giants charged out and scored 13 runs on their way to October glory.

But on Tuesday night, one day after Wells held them to a season-low two hits, the response was much different. Sources said the players held no such seance. They simply took early batting practice and got thrashed again in a 5-2 loss to the Cubs, knocking them to six games behind Arizona in the N.L. West.

The Giants are 10-18 in August, their highest loss total in a month since they were 9-18 in September, 2007 — when they were a pitiful bunch sweeping up confetti after Barry Bonds broke the all-time home run record.

They look just as pitiful now. And although Bochy aired them out in a forceful meeting three weeks ago at Florida, the players haven’t held their own revival meeting.

As one player put it, “Who would call it?”

Veteran Mark DeRosa is a leader by nature, but sources said he hasn’t taken on a vocal role because injuries have made him a marginal player. Miguel Tejada has enough time in the

league, but he is disaffected with his reserve role and not fit to inspire as Renteria once did.

Maybe the Giants will get some leadership back when Arizona arrives Friday and Pat Burrell joins the expanded roster. Bochy said Burrell might even start in the outfield despite debilitating right foot pain. That’s how desperate the Giants are for some pop and attitude.

Is it time for the players to take charge again? Bochy indicated as much during his pregame briefing Tuesday.

“Oh, I think you have to get angry,” Bochy said. “I’m snapping in the dugout and in the clubhouse. You ought to sit in here during the game. You’ll see some snaps. Sometimes you can compound the problem, too, if you keep beating yourself up. But I do believe you have to play angry. When things aren’t going well, there are times you get upset and you say, ‘You know what? We have to do something about it.’ “

Carlos Beltran could start by giving Bochy back his No. 15. If you believe in mojo, the Giants are 11-21 since the manager ceded his uniform number to the former Met.

Beltran has turned from a disappointment to fully fledged boo magnet. He struck out in the third, popped out in the fifth and grounded out on the first pitch in the seventh, each time ending innings with two runners on base.

The Cubs sure had Ryan Vogelsong’s number. He allowed a mammoth home run to Alfonso Soriano in the second inning that nearly hit the giant glove above the left field bleachers. Starlin Castro — yes, young shortstops who can field and hit really do exist — tripled to lead off a two-run third inning.

And that was it. Jeff Keppinger had two run-scoring hits, but the Giants clinched another series loss. If they lose again Wednesday, it’ll mean more than a three-game sweep. It’ll be the Giants’ 19th loss in August — their most in a month in Brian Sabean’s 15 seasons as general manager.

Maybe, said Sabean, the disabled list explains that lost edge, too.

“Everybody likes definitive roles, coming to the ballpark knowing where they’re going to hit or play,” Sabean said. “When you have to deal with crisis management every day or series or week, it’s unsettling to people.”

“Having said that, a lot of these guys have played enough baseball. You would’ve expected more, but … it’s a head scratcher. It is.”

Giants plan to keep Brandon Crawford busy

Brandon Crawford is expected to rejoin the Giants when rosters expand on Friday. But even if the club fails to make the postseason, October promises to be a very important month for the rookie shortstop.

Crawford will play in the Arizona Fall League for the second time in three years, it was announced. Although the Giants’ other assignments to the league haven’t been determined, club officials made finding a regular spot for Crawford their top priority.

“The more at-bats he has against higher level pitching, the faster he can get straight mechanically and be a factor up here,” Giants GM Brian Sabean said.

Giants officials are hoping that Crawford’s bat develops enough to justify making him their everyday shortstop next season. Otherwise, they’ll be searching for another stopgap — putting them in the same position as last offseason, when they spent $6 million on Miguel Tejada.

The Tejada investment cannot be defended now, although it remains to be seen if Crawford will get much playing time in September. Giants manager Bruce Bochy has platooned Mike Fontenot and Orlando Cabrera at shortstop in recent weeks.

Crawford hit .190 before he was optioned July 31, but the Giants were 23-18 during his two-month run as the everyday shortstop.

No question, the shortstop position looms as a huge issue this winter. Giants shortstops have made 23

errors, tied with the St. Louis Cardinals for the most in the N.L..

The Giants’ deficit in the N.L. West stands at five games after a 7-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Monday night. But set that aside for a moment.

They have 27 more to play this season, and the way it’s going for their toe-tagged offense, maybe the goals need to change.

Maybe they should just try to reach the finish line without their clubhouse tearing itself apart.

“Get a different answer,” said manager Bruce Bochy, after canceling his postgame session in the interview room.

“It’s hard to figure what’s going on. Every day we come out here, we think we’re going to come out of it. It didn’t happen today. I know that can be discouraging, but we have to stay positive. That’s the only way I know: to keep coming out here working.

“We’ve tried different things, lineups, yelling, meeting, but it’s a tough rut, there’s no getting around it. So I’d encourage you to ask them instead of getting the same answers from me.”

Any illuminating thoughts, Carlos Beltran?

“There’s no way to explain it,” said the Giants’ key trade-deadline acquisition, who struck out twice and had a ground out and a pop-up as the Giants collected a season-low two hits. “We didn’t get anyone on base, and when we did, we didn’t put anything together. It is what it is.”

Tim Lincecum’s season is what it is, too: brilliance unrewarded.

Despite being one of the few Giants to improve from last year’s championship campaign, Lincecum (12-11) set a career

high for losses in a season — and he still has five starts remaining.

The explanation is simple. For the 10th time in Lincecum’s 28 starts, the Giants gave him zero runs. He is 0-7 with a 3.43 ERA in those 10 outings.

It played out again in frustrating fashion as Lincecum made one mistake and lost.

Except this time, he added a few more. Alfonso Soriano’s solo home run popped a shutout in the fifth inning, then Lincecum broke down in the seventh and allowed two more deep drives — the first time in his big league career he gave up three home runs in a start.

Geovany Soto hit a leadoff shot in the seventh. Then Lincecum walked pitcher Randy Wells, and shortstop Orlando Cabrera botched a potential double-play ground ball. Blake DeWitt followed by threading a three-run shot inside the right-field pole.

It was a shocking end for Lincecum, who had allowed three homers in his previous 14 starts combined. And if it was a letdown, you couldn’t blame him.

He remained calm and composed in front of reporters in a silent clubhouse, though, blaming himself for making “just three really (crappy) pitches.”

“At this time last year, we were in a similar spot, but we were gaining ground, not going backward,” Lincecum said. “It’s hard to keep your head up when things aren’t really going our way.”

Before the game, Bochy revealed that he summoned his entire rotation for a meeting Friday and commended them for how they were handling the lack of run support.

“I told them how important they are,” Bochy said. “I said, ‘Don’t get discouraged.’ They had a great attitude. It’s, ‘Hey, we’re all in this together.’ “

Nope, Lincecum isn’t alone. He actually entered with more average run support (3.17) than Madison Bumgarner (2.94).

But it’ll be hard to keep saying the right things as the playoffs become a faint hope. It’s starting to look like a miracle is needed for the Giants to catch the Arizona Diamondbacks and win consecutive N.L.

West titles for the first time in franchise history.

The Giants have lost 20 of their past 30 games while free-falling from a four-game lead to a five-game deficit.

The Giants made no noise of their own against Wells, although Andres Torres certainly tried. He walked and stole a base in the first inning, then doubled in the third. Mike Fontenot had the Giants’ only other hit — a pinch single in the eighth — as Wells threw his first career shutout.

“He pitched great,” Bochy said. “But everybody that is going out there is throwing great right now. That’s what makes it tough. They outplayed us, outpitched us, outdid everything against us.”