Bumgarner throws gem, gets RBI in Giants' 1-0 win over Cubs
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The San Francisco Giants aren't lighting up the scoreboard, but they're doing enough to keep piling up the wins.
Madison Bumgarner pitched 7 2/3 dominant innings and doubled in a run in the fifth to lift the Giants to a 1-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday night.
The Giants won for the 11th time in 12 games and took two of three from a Cubs team with the best record in baseball.
Bumgarner (6-2) struck out six and allowed three hits and two walks while winning his fifth straight decision. The Giants have won each of the left-hander's last six starts.
"It's not a bad day for Bum to pitch like that, shut them out and knock in the only run," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "That's a pretty good day."
San Francisco hasn't scored more than five runs in 15 straight games. Going into Sunday, the averaged 2.7 runs in their previous 14 games, batting .220 over that stretch.
The Cubs began the day with their best record in franchise history through 41 games since 1918.
"It's a fun series," Bumgarner said. "It was a little bit of the playoff atmosphere I guess with all the hype and the talk leading up to these games. You've got to look past that, but it is fun."
The Giants won despite a persistent problem hitting with runners in scoring position. They were 0 for 7 in that department and have 16 hits in their last 98 at-bats with runners in scoring position.
Bumgarner's run-scoring double to left off Kyle Hendricks (2-4) followed Gregor Blanco's leadoff walk.
Giants closer Santiago Casilla pitched a scoreless ninth for his 12th save.
Hendricks allowed one run on three hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings.
"We had to play our best ball because we're having a tough time offensively and their kid (Hendriks) was throwing the ball very well," Bochy said.
Bumgarner loaded the bases with two outs in a 28-pitch inning in the top of the first on a hit batter, a walk, and a Ben Zobrist single. He struck out Addison Russell on a 3-2 fastball to end the threat.
"He comes from a funky angle, an angle you don't see that much," Cubs catcher David Ross said. "It crosses his body, and he was able to mix in that cutter. He got out of that big jam in the first with the bases loaded, made a big pitch at 3-2 to Russell, and from there he kind of just settled in.
"He had the game out of control."
Bumgarner became the first winning Giants pitcher to drive in the only run in a 1-0 game since Russ Ortiz on Aug. 8, 2000, against the Brewers.
Bochy summoned Cory Gearrin to face Kris Bryant after Bumgarner gave up a two-out walk to Anthony Rizzo in the top of the eighth. Bumgarner had retired 19 of the previous 20 batters.
Gearrin got Bryant to line out to shortstop Brandon Crawford on the first pitch.
BUMGARNER'S NEMESIS
Zobrist was 1 for 3 against Bumgarner with single in the bottom of first inning that at the time was his sixth hit in seven at-bats against the Giants left-hander (he's now 6 for 9 against Bumgarner).
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cubs: OF Jason Heyward, injured making a diving catch in Friday's 8-1 victory over the Giants, might not be ready to play in a three-game series against St. Louis that starts Monday, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. Heyward suffered a contusion on his right side (near his ribs) when he robbed Denard Span of extra bases leading off the game for the Giants.
Giants: OF Hunter Pence (right hamstring soreness) was out of the lineup for a second straight day but will likely return for Monday's game against San Diego, Bochy said. ... RHP Sergio Romo, on the disabled list with a flexor strain on his pitching arm since April 15, will throw 20 pitches in a rehab assignment for Triple-A Sacramento on Monday.
UP NEXT
Cubs: RHP John Lackey (4-2) faces the Cardinals at Busch Stadium for the second time this year. He struck out a season-high 11 batters in seven shutout innings in a 5-0 Cubs victory against his former team on April 18. He's among 17 pitchers with at least one victory against all 30 teams.
Giants: RHP Johnny Cueto (6-1) has thrown complete games in two starts against San Diego this season. He's 6-1 with a 1.67 ERA in his last seven starts against the Padres.