San Francisco Giants vs Chicago Cubs Box Score on May 22, 2017

The Sports Xchange
May 22, 2017

CHICAGO -- Joe Panik went 3-for-4 with a home run, and Giants starter Ty Blach pitched into the eighth inning to get his second win as San Francisco held on to beat the Chicago Cubs 6-4 on Monday in the series opener at Wrigley Field.

The Giants (20-26) made it eight wins in their past 10 games while the Cubs (22-21) fell for the second time in their past three.

Panik struck quickly with a first-inning homer and added a third-inning RBI double.

Brandon Belt (2-for-5) and Justin Ruggiano (2-for-4) also hit solo home runs for San Francisco. Ruggiano's blast to left came in the eighth inning off Hector Rondon, the Cubs third pitcher of the night, and gave the Giants a 6-0 lead.

Blach, a left-hander, lost the shutout in the eighth when Javier Baez clubbed a two-run home run to right with no outs, scoring Jason Heyward to make it 6-2.

Cubs pinch hitter Ian Happ then tripled to deep center and Blach was pulled in favor of right-hander Derek Law. The Cubs added two runs as Ben Zobrist homered to right off Law for a two-run homer and trim the deficit to 6-4.

Hunter Strickland, the fourth Giants pitcher of the inning, got Willson Contreras to roll into an inning-ending double play.

Blach (2-2) allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out three in seven-plus innings.

Giants closer Mark Melancon faced four batters in a scoreless ninth for his ninth save.

Cubs starter John Lackey (4-4) worked five innings -- his shortest outing of the season -- and suffered his first loss since April 23. Lackey gave up five runs on seven hits while striking out six and walking a pair in five innings. He allowed two homers and hit two batters.

It was San Francisco's first visit to Wrigley Field since the 2016 National League Division Series won in four games by Chicago en route to a World Series championship.

Panik slugged his first career leadoff homer and second of the year as the Giants claimed a 1-0 first-inning lead. The shot off Lackey came on a full count and narrowly cleared the left field basket.

Panik struck again in the third, doubling home Gorkys Hernandez with one out for a 2-0 lead. The Giants second baseman then scored from second on Belt's two-out base hit to left for a 3-0 advantage.

The Cubs threatened in their half of the third when Zobrist tripled to right-center with two outs. Zobrist reached base in a 20th consecutive game dating to April 28, but he was stranded when Albert Almora Jr. grounded to short to close the inning.

Ruggiano's double to right with no outs in the fourth plated Eduardo Nunez for a 4-0 Giants lead, while Belt got in the scoring parade with a leadoff homer to left in the fifth to make it 5-0.

NOTES: The Giants were 1-5 at Wrigley Field last season and are now 1-10 against the Cubs over their last 11 in Chicago ... Giants OF Denard Span will be out at least until Wednesday due to a sprained left thumb he sustained Sunday at St. Louis. ... The Giants send RHP Johnny Cueto (4-3, 4.50 ERA) against Cubs LHP Jon Lester (2-2, 3.57 ERA) in Tuesday's second of a four-game series. ... Chicago's rainout last Saturday against the Milwaukee Brewers has been rescheduled for July 6 at Wrigley Field, an open date for both teams. ... The Cubs called up LHP Zac Rosscup from Triple-A Iowa while RHP Jake Buchanan was designated for assignment. ... LHP Brett Anderson remains on the disabled list (back strain), but Cubs manager Joe Maddon said he is progressing toward a return. But Maddon did not specify how soon that might occur.