Ian Happ and Dansby Swanson hit back-to-back homers as the Cubs hold off the Giants 6-5
By ANDREW SELIGMAN
AP Sports Writer
CHICAGO (AP) — Ian Happ hit a 442-foot homer, Dansby Swanson made it back-to-back longballs and the Chicago Cubs hung on to beat the San Francisco Giants 6-5 on Wednesday.
Jorge Soler made it interesting in the eighth inning with a 444-foot grand slam over the bleachers in left field against Tyson Miller that got the Giants within one, but Colten Brewer pitched around back-to-back walks to Wilmer Flores and Brett Wisely in the ninth and finished for his first save.
Kyle Hendricks (1-4) pitched neatly into the sixth inning, allowing one run on two hits in his longest outing of the season and lowering his ERA from 8.20 to 7.46.
“We’ve got to win games,” manager Craig Counsell said. “You try to stack up wins. We’ve got to keep doing that. We haven’t been doing a good job of that, so just stacking up wins is a good deal.”
The Cubs took two of three from the Giants, a small step for a team that’s struggled the past month after a rather promising start.
Chicago had lost three straight series following a two-game sweep of the crosstown White Sox, the team with the worst record in the majors. The Cubs hadn’t taken one of three or more games since winning two of three at Pittsburgh from May 10 to 12.
On Wednesday, there was a moment of silence before the game for Willie Mays, and the Giants wore patches on their jerseys in honor of the Hall of Famer, who died on Tuesday.
Happ and Swanson connected against reliever Spencer Bivens (1-1) in a three-run fourth. Swanson went deep for the second straight game, and he also drove in two with a single in a three-run seventh.
Swanson then helped another run score when he got caught in a rundown trying to steal with Michael Busch batting. First baseman Flores dropped a throw and Christopher Morel came home from third, bumping Chicago’s lead to 6-1.
“I was trying to steal, but apparently, I’m slow now,” Swanson said.
In the eighth, Mark Leiter Jr. walked Matt Chapman and Austin Slater with two outs to set up Soler’s second career grand slam.
Hendricks was sharp in his first start since May 17. The veteran right-hander struck out a season-high eight and walked one.
Hendricks, who lost his spot in the rotation after struggling early in the season, didn’t allow a hit until Thairo Estrada doubled to left leading off the sixth. Estrada moved up on a bunt single by Brett Wisely and scored on Heliot Ramos’ fielder’s-choice grounder.
Hendricks walked off to loud cheers before Drew Smyly struck out Chapman.
Erik Miller struck out two in a scoreless first inning as the opener in a bullpen game for San Francisco.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Giants: The Giants were trying to decide the next step for LHP Blake Snell (strained left groin) after the two-time Cy Young Award winner threw a bullpen session Tuesday in San Francisco. “It’s going to be some kind of a game, I’m not sure what,” manager Bob Melvin said.
UP NEXT
Giants: The Giants had not announced a starter for Thursday’s Negro League tribute game honoring Mays against St. Louis at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. RHP Andre Pallante (2-3, 4.61 ERA) pitches for St. Louis.
Cubs: LHP Shota Imanaga (7-1, 1.89) is set to start Friday, when the Cubs open a weekend series against the Mets. LHP Jose Quintana (2-5, 4.98) pitches for New York.
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