Chicago Cubs vs San Francisco Giants Box Score on Aug 09, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Aug 9, 2017

SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Giants are not in the pennant race, but left-handed starter Madison Bumgarner continued to pitch as if he were in a 3-1 win over the Chicago Cubs Wednesday afternoon.

Bumgarner allowed four hits and one run over seven innings in improving to 2-5. In his last four starts, he has allowed four earned runs, and three of those four opponents were potential playoff teams -- the Dodgers and the Diamondbacks before the Cubs.

Bumgarner was locked in a tight battle with Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks and later reliever Mike Montgomery, and the game was tied at 1-1 into the bottom of the seventh when Bumgarner was lifted for a pinch-hitter.

It was at that point the Giants' offense came to life on consecutive singles by Denard Span, Ryder Jones and Jarrett Parker against Cubs' lefty reliever Brian Duensing to take a 2-1 lead.

An inning later, Hunter Pence hit his 10th homer of the season. It was his second homer of the homestand after going the entire season without having gone deep at AT&T Park.

Pablo Sandoval's attempt to resurrect his career in a Giants' uniform took another step forward with a single in the second inning that led to the team's first run. Brandon Crawford singled with two outs, and Joe Panik did the same, Sandoval coming home with the game's first run on Panik's hit in the bottom of the second.

Sandoval went on to turn in a spectacular defensive play later in the game. He closed out the fifth inning with a diving stop, then got off a one-hop throw to first baseman Jones to support Bumgarner.

The Giants' left-hander allowed just four hits, but one of them was Albert Almora Jr.'s two-out homer in the third that tied the game. Almora had never faced Bumgarner before but went 2- for-3 against him.

Hendricks was lifted after allowing a two-out single in the fifth inning. He had walked three and allowed five hits. Montgomery pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings before the Giants' offense got to Duensing (0-1).

Sam Dyson pitched the ninth inning for the Giants for the save, his eighth of the season.

NOTES: Cubs RF Ben Zobrist opened the game with a single. He is now 7-for-15 lifetime against Bumgarner. ... Giants RHP Mark Melancon (right pronator strain) will travel with the Giants to Washington and it's possible that he will be activated from the disabled list Friday. ... Before the game, the Cubs put RHP Koji Uehara on the disabled list with tightness in his neck. Justin Grimm was recalled from Triple-A Iowa. ... San Francisco RHP Johnny Cueto, still dealing with a blister, will travel with the team to Washington. The plan will be for him to do some light throwing over the weekend.