Hurts so bad: 49ers lose yet another heartbreaker

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) pulls in the game winning touchdown as San Francisco 49ers cornerback Rashard Robinson (33) defends during overtime of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, in Glendale, Ariz. The Cardinals won 18-15. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) less Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) pulls in the game winning touchdown as San Francisco 49ers cornerback Rashard Robinson (33) defends during overtime of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 1, ... more Photo: Rick Scuteri, Associated Press Photo: Rick Scuteri, Associated Press Image 1 of / 23 Caption Close Hurts so bad: 49ers lose yet another heartbreaker 1 / 23 Back to Gallery

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Rookie wide receiver Trent Taylor stood at his locker with his eyes brimming with tears and his voice cracking with emotion while he tried to describe his disappointment.

“It’s rough, man,” Taylor said softly. “It’s rough when you go out there and give it your all. All your guys are giving it their all every snap and to come up short like that, it’s always going to hurt.”

Yes, losing stings, particularly the way the 49ers have done it this season.

On Sunday, for the third time in four games this season, the winless 49ers endured a punch-in-the-gut defeat. The latest heartbreaker: They fell to the Cardinals 18-15 on Carson Palmer’s 19-yard touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald with 32 seconds left in overtime.

The 49ers, who didn’t trail or allow a touchdown until the game’s final play, had taken the lead less than two minutes earlier after Robbie Gould’s 23-yard field goal capped a 17-play drive to start the 10-minute overtime period.

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The 49ers have lost three NFC West games in three weeks by an average of 2.7 points, a streak that started with a 12-9 loss in Seattle and was followed by a 41-39 loss to the Rams.

“It’s sickening, man,” linebacker Eli Harold said. “It hurts so bad. That Seattle game, starting with that game, I never felt so bad after a game in my life. And last week, I never felt so bad after a game in my life. And, now, I never felt so bad after a game in my life.”

Others captured their emotions more succinctly.

Said cornerback Rashard Robinson: “It pisses you off.”

Offered linebacker NaVorro Bowman: “It sucks.”

And it happened in large part because the 49ers’ offense didn’t manage a touchdown for the third time in four games.

Quarterback Brian Hoyer completed 24 of 49 passes for 234 yards and tossed a gift-wrapped, second-quarter interception to safety Antoine Bethea that set up one of four field goals by Arizona kicker Phil Dawson.

The 49ers will bemoan their fourth-quarter struggles when they examine the loss. After taking a 12-9 lead on the fourth of Gould’s five field goals late in the third quarter, the offense went into hibernation.

In the final 15 minutes of regulation, its five possessions netted no first downs, minus-6 yards and five punts. At one point, on the 49ers’ final possession of regulation, head coach Kyle Shanahan, a former Division I wide receiver, caught Hoyer’s wayward deep pass on the sideline and threw it to the ground.

Hoyer, who wasn’t helped by key drops from tight end George Kittle and wide receiver Aldrick Robinson, completed 3 of 11 passes for 7 yards in the fourth quarter.

“You have to throw and catch better — it’s as simple as that,” Shanahan said. “... When guys are open, and you have the time, you have to hit them. When he does hit you, you have to catch it. I know nobody’s perfect, but there was way too much of that between both positions today.”

Said Hoyer: “Obviously, I probably missed a few throws. I have to get that figured out and just keep going.”

Despite their offensive ineptitude, and 13 penalties, the 49ers were in position to win because of a strong defensive performance.

The 49ers, who arrived with the second-fewest sacks (three) in the NFL, had no problem generating pressure against a team that had allowed the fourth most (11) in the league and was playing without starting guards Alex Boone and Mike Iupati.

The 49ers had six sacks and 16 hits on Palmer, who was dropped for six sacks in Arizona’s loss to Dallas last Monday night.

“We saw on film that he was sacked six times last week,” Harold said. “In the D-line room, we just told ourselves — Arik (Armstead) said it plain as day: ‘If we don’t eat this game, we’re trash.’ He put it out there on the table and we executed.”

The battering appeared to take its toll on Palmer, who limped to the end of regulation: On Arizona’s final three full possessions in regulation, Palmer was sacked three times, completed 3 of 5 passes for 14 yards and didn’t manage a first down.

“Oh, man, Carson stood in there,” Fitzgerald said. “He took some shots.”

Palmer stood tall when it counted. After the 49ers took a 15-12 lead in overtime, he completed 6 of 7 passes for 77 yards.

Fittingly, his final throw was to Fitzgerald, a noted 49ers nemesis whose 17 touchdowns against them are five more than any player in NFL history. Fitzgerald, who had just three catches for 13 yards before the score, lined up in the slot on the right side and ran by cornerback K’Waun Williams, who passed him off to defenders in the end zone. Fitzgerald soared between Robinson and safety Jimmie Ward for the game-winner.

“I had a large piece of field to cover,” Robinson said. “Good pass. Good catch.”

And yet another agonizing loss that left at least one player near tears.

“Whenever a game ends the way that it did today,” Taylor said, “it’s going to sting a little bit more.”

Eric Branch is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ebranch@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Eric_Branch

3 notables

LB Ray-Ray Armstrong: Reuben Foster’s fill-in had a team-high 10 tackles, a sack and an end-zone interception to end Arizona’s game-opening drive.

QB Brian Hoyer: He had his third subpar performance in four starts. He completed fewer than half his passes (24 of 49), posted a 54.3 passer rating and heaved a horrible interception.

DT Solomon Thomas: The No. 3 pick had his first sack, adding five tackles and four QB hits.

— Eric Branch