Game One Hundred Thirty-Six – Cubs 3, Giants 2 – 13 innings
WP – Trevor Cahill (4-4) LP – Matt Reynolds (0-1) Save – None
Jason Heyward stepped in with one out, two on and the game tied at two in the 13th inning. Heyward singled to left center on a 1-2 pitch, Anthony Rizzo scored and the Cubs walked off the Giants on Sunday afternoon. The Cubs won the series (3-1) and season-series (4-3) against the Giants.
Jason Heyward (3-for-6 with three RBI) drove in all three of the Cubs’ runs on Sunday afternoon. Heyward tied the game at one in the fourth with a two-out single that plated Anthony Rizzo (3-for-6 with two runs scored). Heyward sent the game into extra innings with a single to center in the ninth past a drawn in infield that drove in Addison Russell (3-for-5 with two doubles, a walk and a run scored) with the tying run.
Addison Russell had a three-hit game and reached base four times. Russell led off the ninth with a double off Giants’ closer Santiago Casilla and scored on the Heyward single. Russell was intentionally walked in the 13th with Rizzo on second representing the winning run. The Giants wanted nothing to do with Russell. And Heyward made the Giants pay for the decision.
Anthony Rizzo recorded three hits and scored two runs, including the game-winner on a perfect read on Heyward’s single.
The Cubs bullpen came through again on Sunday afternoon. John Lackey pitched better than his final line. Cubs’ mental and physical mistakes gave the Giants their two runs. Seven relievers combined on eight scoreless innings. Cubs’ pitching gave up only four hits in 13 innings.
John Lackey had a good outing in his first start in three weeks. Lackey made only one mistake in five innings, and it happened without him throwing a ball. Lackey ignored Eduardo Nunez at second base in the fifth inning after he doubled to right center with one out. Nunez got a running lead and swiped third base with the left-handed hitting Ehire Adrianza at the plate. Contreras had no shot. Bruce Bochy called for the squeeze. Adriana bunted the ball back to Lackey. Nunez scored the go ahead run.
Lackey appeared to throw the ball without any pain. Lackey worked well with Contreras and kept the ball down. The Giants had only one hit off Lackey without much hard contact. The Cubs made two mistakes when Lackey was on the hill. Both miscues cost the Cubs runs.
Jason Heyward dropped a flyball in right center in the second inning that allowed Hunter Pence to reach second base. Pence scored the game’s first run on a grounder to short off the bat of Eduardo Nunez. The Giants scored a run without a hit, and actually did not record their first hit of the game until the fifth inning.
John Lackey was charged with two runs, one earned, on one hit with a walk and four strikeouts. Lackey made 76 pitches, 50 for strikes, in five innings. The Cubs were looking to have Lackey make 80 to 90 pitches on Sunday.
Rob Zastryzny replaced Lackey for the sixth inning and started the seventh inning. Zastryzny gave up a hit and hit a batter. Maddon had Joe Smith finish the seventh inning. Smith struck out Johnny Cueto with two on to end the inning.
Travis Wood and Carl Edwards Jr. combined on a scoreless eighth. Joe Maddon left Edwards Jr. in for the ninth and he set down the side in order with a pair of strikeouts.
Aroldis Chapman made his first appearance of the series in the 10th inning. Chapman recorded three outs on seven pitches, six strikes. Chapman worked his way out of a jam in the 11th inning. Chapman walked Panik and Buster Posey reached on an infield single to the hole at short, his first hit of the series. Chapman struck out Hunter Pence swinging but the ball popped out of Contreras’ glove. Panik and Posey moved to second and third with two outs. Chapman reached back and struck out Brandon Belt swinging to end the inning.
Justin Grimm was effective in the 12th inning and put a zero on the board. Grimm struck out two and gave up a hit and walked a batter. Willson Contreras and Javier Baez helped keep Grimm out of trouble. Contreras threw out Adrianza at second base for the first out after Baez applied a lightning-fast, behind the back tag.
Trevor Cahill recorded three groundball outs in the 13th inning.
Jason Heyward stepped up offensively. The bullpen did the job with eight scoreless innings in relief of John Lackey. In a game that took four hours, 23 minutes and 13 innings to complete, the Cubs found a way to win a game.
With Sunday’s win (11-11 on Sundays in 2016), the Cubs improved to 88-48 on the season.
The Cubs begin a three-city, nine-game road trip on Monday with the first of three at Miller Park. Kyle Hendricks is scheduled to face Zach Davies in the opener on Labor Day (12:05pm CDT).