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Russell delivers big hit for Chicago Cubs

San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy knows good when he sees it. He has presided over world-championship teams in 2010, 2012 and 2014.

Visiting with Bochy in the dugout before Thursday night's game at Wrigley Field, I asked him if a young and talented Chicago Cubs team could be poised for a similar kind of run.

"They have a very nice club," he said. "You look at their record and what they've accomplished this season, they have to be the favorites. That's how good they are."

Bochy no doubt is a future Hall of Fame manager, and he has all he can handle trying to get his own ballclub into the playoffs this season.

Addison Russell again came through for the Cubs, dunking a 2-run single into left field in the seventh inning to help rally them to a 5-4 victory.

The victory was impressive on several fronts. Russell picked up his 87th and 88th RBI. The Cubs also got stellar work from relievers Rob Zastryzny, Joe Smith and Carl Edwards Jr., who combined for 5 perfect innings in relief of starter Mike Montgomery.

Edwards earned his first career save working in place of Aroldis Chapman, who was unavailable after working three straight nights.

"Wow," said manager Joe Maddon, whose team is 86-47 and whose magic number for clinching the National League Central dropped to 15. "I heard 15 outs in a row. Is that accurate? Well, Rob Z (2 innings) again straightened the whole game out. He was very, very good.

"Smitty, coming back (from the disabled list), from the side it was very good. They had some bad swings. And CJ (Edwards). I don't know if you noticed. From the sidelines, I just loved his focus."

As for that focus, Edwards said: "I'm not going to lie. I was nervous. But I felt good, pretty much. My main goals was to get first-pitch strikes."

The Giants entered the night trailing the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers by 1½ games in the NL West and holding a precarious lead for the top wild-card spot. Maddon entered September with his team leading the Central by 15 games.

"It would be nice to have that kind of a lead," Bochy said. "This team (the Cubs) is a very, very good ballclub - best record in baseball, very balanced. You have to play well to beat them."

The Giants scored twice in the first, but Cubs batters forced former teammate Jeff Samardzija to throw 47 pitches as they scored 3 runs in the bottom of the inning.

The Giants scored single runs in the second and third. In the seventh, Russell dropped a bases-loaded single to left off reliever Cory Gearrin.

Getting to 100 RBI would be something special for Russell.

"It's pretty impressive," he said. "It surprised me, but it's like I said, I wouldn't have 88 if it wasn't for those guys that get on."

Bullpen main focus now for Maddon

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