The Giants have won five straight games started by Bumgarner, and over his last six starts the lefty has posted a minuscule 1.69 ERA.
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San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Cain throws to the Chicago Cubs during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, May 21, 2016, in San Francisco.
Pagan already had missed 11 games after straining his left hamstring on May 1, so Bochy didn’t want to take any chances. Kyle Hendricks in the first three games. Hendricks also walked three while striking out only one in the ballgame. On Saturday, he ended that streak when he doubled in two runs in the bottom of the second inning off Lester, setting the tone for the Giants’ ninth win in 10 games.
This was a game where pretty much everything went wrong for the Cubs.
MARLINS 3, WASHINGTON 2: Jose Fernandez pitched six innings and then led the dugout celebration as Miami made him a victor again at Marlins Park by beating Washington. With two outs and men on first and second, Cain’s first hit of the season gave the Giants an early 2-0 lead against Jon Lester.
Madison Bumgarner (5-2, 2.45 ERA) has posted a 1.69 ERA with a 4-1 record in his last six starts. More on that inning in a second.
After skipping a turn in the rotation last weekend because of a sore elbow, Matz (6-1) picked up right where he left off in his previous outing May 9 at Dodger Stadium. Nunez hit a three-run homer off Gavin Floyd. Blanco came all the way around to score. After that, Matz retired 15 straight. On Sunday he joined Clayton Kershaw as the only pitchers this season to drive in the lone run in their own 1-0 win.
“We’ve got a long season”, Lester said. A win in the rubber game in this set with that matchup would really establish this team and pitching staff as dominant in the National League.
Hendricks allowed one run on three hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings.
Mookie Betts had a grand slam and a solo homer for Boston while Jackie Bradley Jr. extended his majors’ best hitting streak to 26 games, closing in one the Red Sox record of 34.
Bumgarner tossed 7 2/3 innings of shutout baseball and struck out six batters.
Blue Jays 3, Twins 1 • Jose Bautista and Josh Donaldson started the game with back-to-back home runs off Phil Hughes in a three-run first inning, and Marcus Stroman bounced back from his worst major-league start to lead visiting Toronto. When Dexter Fowler led off the ninth with a home run, the crowd noise was a mix of derision from the locals and hope from the well represented Cubs fans in the crowd.
Josh Donaldson, Michael Saunders and Darwin Barney also went deep for Toronto.
On paper, that lineup shouldn’t exactly strike fear in opposing pitchers. The Cubs will run out John Lackey (3.31 ERA, 3.13 FIP, 3.58 DRA), Jason Hammel (2.31, 3.41, 4.30) and Jake Arrieta (1.29, 2.54, 3.09).
Miguel Cabrera homered twice for the Tigers. He allowed four earned runs in six innings in his only start in San Francisco on August 26, 2015.
Noah Syndergaard struck out 11 in seven innings and Michael Conforto homered to help NY beat visiting Milwaukee for a three-game series sweep.
YANKEES 8, ATHLETICS 3: CC Sabathia came off the disabled list to pitch six innings and become the eighth player in the modern era to win 100 games or more with two teams, and the New York Yankees beat the Oakland Athletics. It was Cain’s first hit in 46 at-bats, dating back more than two years ago.
Osich was charged with a run in the eighth when Jorge Soler doubled off the arcade and Cory Gearrin gave up an RBI single to Jorge Soler. Wood walked Seth Smith to force in a run, and Tony Cingrani came on and hit Robinson Cano with his first pitch to tie it. There are two out and two runners on base.
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Nelson Cruz and Lee homered in the ninth off Jumbo Diaz, the 35th and 36th homers allowed by Reds relievers this season.
