Giants Rally Past Cubs For Fourth Straight Win
The San Francisco Giants held off the Chicago Cubs for a 7-6 win Thursday after trailing by five runs after three innings. Angel Pagan and Pablo Sandoval led the Giants’ rally, as the defending World Series champions have now won four straight games after coming back against the Cubs.
Ryan Vogelsong got the start for the Giants and gave up four runs off eight hits in six innings pitched. Vogelsong wasn’t consistent Thursday, but got his first win of the season after losing to the St. Louis Cardinals last Saturday.
The Cubs jumped out to a big lead early in the game after Anthony Rizzo homered to deep left and Brent Lillibridge hit a two-run single in the bottom of the third.
The Giants matched the Cubs’ four-run third inning with four runs of their own in the fourth. Hunter Pence scored on a fielding error by shortstop Starlin Castro before Angel Pagan drove in Nick Noonan with a single to right field.
Pablo Sandoval followed Pagan’s RBI-single with a two-run double to cut the Cubs lead to one after four innings. It didn’t take long for the Giants to gain the lead, as Pagan drove in Gregor Blanco with a sacrifice fly to take the lead after Brandon Belt scored off a bases-loaded walk by Hisanori Takahashi.
Right-hander Scott Feldman got the nod for the Cubs, and lost his second start of the season after giving up two earned runs on seven hits in just over four innings of work. Feldman didn’t receive much help from the defense behind him, as four of the Giants’ runs came off errors.
The Cubs cut the Giants 7-5 lead to one run in the eighth inning when Alfonso Soriano scored on a double-play, but Sergio Romo came into the game in the ninth and shut down the Cubs for his sixth save of the season.
Romo has only given up two hits in his first six appearances for the Giants this season after closing out the Detroit Tigers in the World Series last year.
The Cubs and Giants will meet again in game two of their three-game set on Friday as the Giants’ Matt Cain will take the mound. The Giants are now a half-game ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks for first in the NL West after the 7-6 win Thursday.
Can the San Francisco Giants stay hot in April as they continue their seven-game road trip on Friday?
[Image via Creative Commons]
