The second Logan Webb went on the Injured List, the Giants knew Friday's game would be handled by their bullpen. The lineup made sure the Cubs had to deal with the same thing.
Spot starter Scott Kazmir lasted just two innings before giving way to full-time relievers, but the Giants had a four-run lead by the time they pulled him and had knocked Cubs starter Jake Arrieta out. They held on for an 8-5 win, securing at least a split with the Cubs, who came in atop the NL Central and as one of the hottest teams in all of baseball.
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The Cubs have a good bullpen, but didn't expect to use it as much as the Giants on this night. Gabe Kapler's lineup left them no choice. Kazmir trailed 2-0 after just three pitches but in the second inning, the Giants put six runs on Arrieta's line with a series of scorched hits.
They kept tacking on, hitting four homers for the fourth time this season.
Back-to-Back
Nobody who has helped put this team together or has coached it will be looking for a job anytime soon, but if they did need a resume-filler, a lot of Giants people could use a sequence in the bottom of the fourth. After the Cubs cut their deficit to two, the Giants pushed further ahead on back-to-back blasts from Jason Vosler and LaMonte Wade Jr.
Vosler's was his second in the big leagues and came against his first organization, and it gave the Giants seven pinch-hit homers this season, which leads MLB. Wade's was also his second of the year and made it 8-4.
Wade was starting because the Giants are still without Brandon Belt. Vosler was pinch-hitting because they still are without guys like Mike Yastrzemski and Darin Ruf, cutting into their depth. It's incredible how deep this lineup still goes, though, even with all the injuries, and that showed in the fourth.
Streaking Steven
Steven Duggar was hot all May and should start for the first two weeks of June with Yastrzemski sidelined, and he continues to look like a new man at the plate. Duggar pulled one just over the high right field wall in the second inning to give the Giants a 3-2 lead. His homer was one of two -- along with Alex Dickerson's -- in a six-run second.
Duggar's previous career-high for homers in a season was four, done in 261 at-bats in 2019. He hit his fourth this season in just his 73rd at-bat.
Second-Inning Parade
The Giants sent 10 men to the plate in the second inning and made Arrieta throw 42 pitches, ending his night after just six outs. Duggar and Dickerson had the big blasts, but Brandon Crawford got it going with a double off the left field wall and Evan Longoria and Donovan Solano both had hard singles in the six-run frame.
The inning was filled with about as much hard contact as you'll see. The exit velocities for the six hits: 104 mph, 106, 105, 106, 109 and 105. Dickerson's homer was the one that left the yard at 109 mph.
