Pinch hitter Nico Hoerner delivered a go-ahead, two-run single in a three-run seventh inning and the Chicago Cubs opened a three-game road series with a 3-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Friday night.
Marcus Stroman won his fifth straight start for the Cubs, who snapped a four-game losing streak. The Giants saw their three-game winning streak end.
Thanks to a Thairo Estrada RBI double in the third inning, Giants starter Anthony DeSclafani took a 1-0 lead into the seventh before yielding a single to Seiya Suzuki and a walk to Ian Happ.
Giants reliever Ryan Walker came on to get Dansby Swanson on a fly ball that advanced both baserunners, then walked Matt Mervis to set the stage for Hoerner’s big hit up the middle.
After Christopher Morel drew a walk to reload the bases, Tucker Barnhart singled to center to score Mervis, making it 3-1 and producing the eventual difference-making run.
Having allowed just one run on five hits to that point, Stroman (7-4) served up a one-out double to Brandon Crawford in the last of the seventh.
Stroman retired LaMonte Wade Jr. on a grounder that advanced Crawford to third, then was pulled in favor of Mark Leiter Jr. The reliever allowed Joc Pederson’s fourth hit of the game, an infield single, to make it 3-2.
Leiter struck out Estrada to strand the potential tying run on base, then threw a 1-2-3 eighth. Adbert Alzolay came on to retire the Giants in order in the ninth for his third save.
Stroman wound up going 6 2/3 innings, during which he gave up two runs and six hits. He walked four and struck out five.
DeSclafani (4-6) took the loss, charged with two runs on three hits. He walked four and struck out two.
Hoerner finished with two hits and Suzuki had three for the Cubs.
Pederson matched a career best with his four-hit game for the Giants, who had just three other hits.
–Field Level Media
