Johnny Cueto pitched maybe his best game of 2016, but it wasn’t quite enough.
Chicago second baseman Javier Baez ended a scoreless tie in the eighth inning, blasting a towering solo home run to give the Cubs the only run they would need in a 1-0 victory over the Giants in Game 1 of the NLDS at Wrigley Field on Friday evening.
Chicago starter Jon Lester was incredible in his own right, also not allowing a run through eight innings, and striking out five without a walk.
Baez’s home run ended the Giants’ 16 inning scoreless streak to open the postseason, and a five-game winning streak where they didn’t once give up more than three runs.
Cueto was nearly unhittable through the first eight innings, striking out 10, and making the Cubs look silly with a nasty changeup.
Unfortunately for the Giants, historically teams that win Game 1 of a five-game series go on to win the series 70 percent of the time.
Gorkys Hernandez wasted no time to reward Bruce Bochy for giving him his first ever postseason start, laying down a perfect bunt to open the game with a leadoff single. Hernandez erased the positive start just as quickly, getting thrown out while trying to steal second by Cubs catcher David Ross two pitches later.
Cueto knocked down the Cubs in order in the bottom of the first with an array of off-speed pitches, and continued to roll in the second, getting Ben Zobrist to strikeout swinging on a changeup that would’ve been ball four. Getting Zobrist to chase is significant, as he was only one of two players (Joe Panik) to finish with more walks than strikeouts in 2016.
The Giants got their leadoff man on base in the first three innings, but didn’t hit the ball into the outfield until Conor Gillaspie lined a single to open the third. Poor base running again spoiled the potential opportunity, when Gillaspie was picked off at first by another snap throw from Ross, his second throw out in three innings.
Cueto was perfect through three, until Chicago slugger Kris Bryant broke it up with a one out double off the ivy in the fourth inning. Bryant advanced to third on a ground out by Anthony Rizzo, and looked sure to score when Ben Zobrist hit a hard ground ball between first and second. Bespectacled Giants second baseman Kelby Tomlinson had other ideas, saving a run with a diving stop to his left, before throwing Zobrist out at first.
Cueto seemed to get more effective as the game went on, striking out the side in the sixth inning, walking to the dugout having thrown just 89 pitches.
Tomlinson, who isn’t known for his defense, made another spectacular play in the seventh, robbing Anthony Rizzo of a leadoff single with a diving stop in shallow right field. Cueto rewarded Tomlison’s effort, striking out Zobrist and getting Addison Russell to ground out, his pitch count now at 99.
It would prove to be all for not, when Baez broke the draw by tattooing a hanger into left field, his first ever postseason home run.
Buster Posey gave the Giants hope with a two out double in the ninth inning off Aroldis Chapman, but Hunter Pence followed with a ground out. Posey is not 7-for-12 off Chapman.
Tomorrow’s pitching matchup should be another good one when Jeff Samardzija (3.81 ERA) takes the hill in his first ever postseason starter facing Kyle Hendricks (2.15) who has the best ERA in the major leagues. First pitch is at 5 pm on KNBR 680.
