CHICAGO (AP) Thairo Estrada hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning to lift the San Francisco Giants to a 7-6 victory over the Cubs on a steamy Monday night.
Heliot Ramos and Patrick Bailey also homered for the Giants, who won their second straight after erasing a 6-3 deficit in the final two innings.
Ian Happ and Michael Busch had home runs for the Cubs, whoāve dropped four of their last five.
The Giants got a run back in the eighth on Baileyās solo shot off reliever Mark Leiter Jr., then took the lead for good off HĆ©ctor Neris (6-2) in the ninth when Estrada sent the first pitch he saw into the left-field bleachers.
āI had a feeling something big was going to happen for me today,ā he said through an interpreter.
With one out, Jorge Soler reached on catcherās interference. Mike Yastrzemski followed with a walk before Estradaās homer.
It was Nerisā fourth blown save in 14 chances but Cubs manager Craig Counsell said the right-hander will remain in the closerās spot for now.
āI wouldnāt anticipate doing that,ā Counsell said. āWe had the catcherās interference, we had a walk and, frankly, (Estradaās homer is) a fly ball. Itās the wrong night to give up fly balls.
āThe walk was the only bad at-bat.ā
Camilo Doval worked the ninth for his 13th save in 15 tries. Reliever Erik Miller (2-2) won despite giving up Happās three-run homer in the seventh that gave the Cubs the lead. Happ nearly drove Millerās 2-2 pitch onto Waveland Avenue in left field. The ball cleared the bleachers but landed a few feet shy of leaving the park.
Soler drew a two-out walk in the fourth and came home two pitches later on Yastrzemskiās triple to give the Giants the gameās first lead. It held up until the sixth, when Busch hit a booming, two-out drive off Randy RodrĆguez to center to give the Cubs a 2-1 edge.
āWeāve got a grinding team,ā said Yastrzemski, who also started an inning-ending 9-2 double play to prevent a Cubs run. āItās huge for our confidence knowing weāre never really out of the game.ā
Chicagoās Javier Assad allowed five hits, walked two and struck out seven in the first five innings. Giants right-hander Jordan Hicks also went five, striking out four while walking for and allowing four hits.
San Francisco manager Bob Melvin was ejected in the bottom of the eighth by home-plate umpire Manny Gonzalez after arguing balls and strikes.
āWe were behind the eight ball a few times tonight,ā said Melvin, who took the early exit in stride. āSometimes it seems our at-bats get even better late in the game.ā
It was 93 degrees at the first pitch, three off the record high for the date that was matched earlier in the day.
Cubs: DH Mike Tauchman left the game in the bottom of the third after legging out a single. The club said he experienced left groin tightness.
The series continues Tuesday night, when RHP Logan Webb (6-5, 3.02 ERA) faces Chicago LHP Justin Steele (0-3, 3.22).
Copyright 2024 STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.