Happ's extra-inning heroics lead Cubs past Giants |
SAN FRANCISCO — A blind squirrel finds a nut occasionally, and right now, the Chicago Cubs (38-44) are that blind squirrel as they looked to end their four-game losing streak on Thursday. Facing off with the San Francisco Giants (39-43) at Oracle Park, the Cubs turned to their stabilizing force in Shota Imanaga, who was looking for a bounce-back start.
Imanaga hasn't been as sharp as he has been his last few times out, but with a 7-2 record and a 3.07 ERA, he has been everything and more for the Cubs this season as the team has responded by going 12-3 on the days he starts. Squaring off against the hard-throwing Jordan Hicks, Imanaga held the Giants scoreless through five innings before beginning to unravel in the sixth. Still, he gave the Cubs all they could as for and more as the Cubs gave up another lead, only to prevail in 10 innings 5-3. Allowing three runs in six innings may not seem significant, but when he silenced this team through five innings, you have to wonder if it was a third-time through-the-order type of deal. Hicks was equally as good, as he battled through some early game struggles to get through five innings. He also allowed three runs but struck out seven. His ERA now stands at 3.36, as his first season as a full-time starter has been better than anyone could've predicted. All three of the runs Hicks allowed came in one inning as the Cubs offense got rolling in the third. That came after another runner was thrown out on the bases as Happ tried to score on a Dansby Swanson single in the second, only to be gunned down at home. It was a play that could've come back to haunt them later in the game, but with Pete Crow-Armstrong leading off the third with a walk and then stealing second, the Cubs offense was in business. Two batters later saw Nico Hoerner put an end to his homerless drought as he connected for his third homer of the season to give the Cubs a 2-0 lead. That Hoerner was just the third extra-base hit in his last 19 games, as things have been a struggle for him all season. With two outs, Cody Bellinger was able to keep things alive with a single the opposite way only to race home on the Seiya Suzuki triple as the Cubs opened up a 3-0 lead through three. Given the state of the Cubs pen, a three-run lead never felt safe, but with Imanaga on the mound, maybe they would find a way to get the job done. With Imanaga battling through some third-inning trouble to keep the Giants off the board, the Cubs lefty managed to get through five with the shutout intact as he continued to have the Giants guessing. Then came the sixth, where the Giants were putting some great swings on him and started to see Imanaga tire as it was a long sixth inning. Austin Slater and Matt Chapman had a pair of singles to put runners on, only to have Jorge Soler come through for the Giants first run as his double made things 3-1. Following a rare wild pitch from Imanaga that made things 3-2, Luis Matos kept the party going as he capped off the Giants three-run inning with an RBI single, and just like that, this was a 3-3. That was the end of the line for Imanaga, who turned things over to the bullpen come the seventh. The bullpen did its job for the second straight day by giving the Cubs four shutout innings of work. Hector Neris and Luke Little had the most impressive lines of the night as Neris picked up two punchouts and Little striking out the side in his appearance. The same can be said about the Giants and their pen, as they matched Hicks with seven strikeouts across five innings to give them 14 for the game. The Cubs had a chance to win in regulation not once, but twice as they wasted a leadoff Suzuki double in the eighth before stranding Miles Mastrobuoni and Hoerner in the ninth after they picked up a pair of singles. Looking to deliver in a close game situation, the Cubs only needed to go two batters into the 10th to make that happen as Happ got Luke Jackson pitch to his liking and ripped it over the Center Field wall to put the Cubs back in front 5-3. .@ihapp_1 puts us on top 5-3! pic.twitter.com/wJEWJLamZP That is all they would need as Porter Hodge worked around a leadoff single in the bottom half of the 10th to seal the deal as the Cubs salvage one game in this series 5-3. Hoerner is starting to see the ball much better as he led the Cubs offense with three hits and two RBIs. Suzuki also had a multi-hit afternoon for the Cubs while Hodge stepped in to close out his first career save. Porter Hodge records his 1st career save in a 5-3 Cubs win! pic.twitter.com/KsXEMu7U4G The Cubs will head north as they open up a three-game set with the Milwaukee Brewers. Jameson Taillon is expected to take the ball for the Cubs as he will face Colin Rea. #Cubs avoid the sweep thanks to a 10th inning homer from Ian Happ. pic.twitter.com/ccegdw0ndf
