Ian Happ bounced a two-run home run off the top of the center-field fence with one out in the 10th inning Thursday afternoon, helping the Chicago Cubs avoid a four-game sweep at the hands of the host San Francisco Giants with a 5-3 victory.
Happ’s homer, his 10th of the season, came after Giants reliever Luke Jackson (4-2) had gotten Seiya Suzuki to ground out without advancing extra-innings automatic runner Cody Bellinger from second base.
Starting with their extra-innings runner at second, the Giants immediately got the potential tying run on base in the last of the 10th on a single by Brett Wisely. But Porter Hodge nailed down his first career save by striking out Austin Slater and retiring Heliot Ramos and Wilmer Flores on pop flies.
Hector Neris (7-2), who pitched a 1-2-3 ninth with two strikeouts in a 3-3 tie, was credited with the win.
Both teams produced a three-run inning earlier in the game.
Seeking one win in San Francisco after having dropped 5-4, 5-1 and 4-3 decisions the previous three nights, the Cubs put up their three-spot in the third inning.
Nico Hoerner opened the scoring with a two-run home run, his third of the season. Suzuki plated Bellinger later in the frame with a two-out triple against Giants starter Jordan Hicks.
The Cubs’ Shota Imanaga took a one-hit shutout into the sixth before a Slater leadoff single sparked the Giants’ game-tying surge.
Jorge Soler drove in the first run with a two-out, ground-rule double. After an Imanaga wild pitch allowed Matt Chapman to score, Luis Matos delivered an infield single that scored Soler to draw the Giants even at 3-3.
Imanaga was pulled after the sixth, having allowed three runs and five hits. He walked two and struck out three coming off his worst outing of the season, when he allowed 10 runs in three-plus innings against the New York Mets last Friday.
Hicks went five innings for the Giants, also charged with three runs on five hits and two walks. He struck out seven.
Suzuki finished with a double and triple for the Cubs, who out-hit the Giants 10-6. Hoerner collected three hits, while Bellinger scored twice.
Soler’s double was the only extra-base hit for the Giants, who still captured the season series over the Cubs, 4-3.
–Field Level Media