The Giants entered their series with the Chicago Cubs with two goals in mind: keep the Cubs’ explosive offense at bay, and wake up their own.
Through the sixth inning of Friday’s game in Chicago, they had met one of those goals. But by the end of the seventh, they had failed to meet either, as a four-run Cubs rally broke a 1-1 tie and powered the home team to a 6-2 win.
Giants’ starter Derek Holland got into trouble in the first inning, but he was able to limit the damage. After two singles to lead off the inning and a passed ball by Buster Posey, he struck out Kris Bryant. Then, he got some help from his defense. After Anthony Rizzo singled to left, scoring Ben Zobrist from third, Albert Almora Jr. tried to score from first, but Giants outfielder Mac Williamson, fresh off the disabled list, made a great throw from left field to retire Almora out at the plate, saving a run. Holland retired the side on a Willson Contreras groundout.
Giants outfielder Gorkys Hernandez tied the game at one with a solo home run to left in the fourth, his fifth of the year after failing to hit a single home run in 2017.
Holland also got some help from his infield defense, as Evan Longoria, Brandon Crawford, and Brandon Belt combined for a sterling defensive play to commence the bottom of the fourth.
Now that's just showing off, @bcraw35 (with an assist from @Evan3Longoria)!
#SFGiants pic.twitter.com/u9o6vUfEn6
— San Francisco Giants (@SFGiants) May 25, 2018
Unfortunately for Holland and the Giants, Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks was equally impressive through seven, keeping the Giants’ hitters off balance with excellent pitch location and allowing two hits through seven innings of work.
Holland was able to match Hendricks through six innings, but not seven. Holland hit Javier Baez with a pitch and then walked Ian Happ to put two on with none out. Addison Russell then moved both runners up a base with a sacrifice bunt. Will Smith replaced Holland and walked pinch hitter Tommy La Stella before Zobrist hit a two-run double to left, putting the Cubs up 3-1. After an Almora strikeout, Bryant then dropped a single into center, scoring La Stella and Zobrist to widen the deficit to 5-1.
The Cubs added an insurance run on a Russell single in the eighth, and though the Giants countered with one of their own in the ninth on a Longoria single, they were unable to cut into the deficit any further. They did, however, force Cubs manager Joe Maddon to bring in closer Anthony Morrow, who threw three straight perfectly-located 100 mph sinkers to strike out Williamson to end the game.
The series will resume Saturday night in Chicago.