Cubs 5, Giants 4
CHICAGO -- Catcher Kyle Schwarber's first career Wrigley Field home run helped lift the Chicago Cubs to an early lead on the way to a 5-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Thursday.
Schwarber went 1-for-3, walked, scored twice and collected three RBIs as the Cubs (59-48) leapfrogged the Giants (59-49) by one-half game in a chase for the second National League wild-card playoff spot.
Cubs reliever Justin Grimm (2-3) worked the perfect fifth inning to earn the victory
Chicago led 5-0 after two innings, but two-run homers by San Francisco first baseman Brandon Belt and shortstop Brandon Crawford sliced the margin to one. However, the Cubs' bullpen blanked San Francisco over the final three innings.
Giants right-hander Chris Heston (11-6) took the loss after a four-inning outing, while Cubs right-hander Jason Hammel worked just four innings in a no-decision.
Right-hander Hector Rondon, the sixth Cubs pitcher, pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 17th save.
The Giants trimmed a three-run deficit to 5-4 with two outs in the sixth on Crawford's two-run homer to left. Crawford's 19th home run of the second also drove in right fielder Hunter Pence.
Right fielder Jorge Soler gave the Cubs a 2-0 lead with a first-inning, two-out single to left. Soler's hit -- on a 3-1 Heston pitch -- drove in Schwarber and first baseman Anthony Rizzo.
Schwarber made it 5-0 in the second with his first career Wrigley Field homer, a one-out shot to right-center on a 1-0 pitch that also brought home Hammel and second baseman Addison Russell. Schwarber has six home runs and 18 RBIs in 25 games since coming up June 16 for the first of two stints with the Cubs.
The Giants trimmed the lead to 5-2 with Belt's 14th homer of the year in the fourth. Belt's two-out blast came on a 2-2 pitch and brought home Pence.
Hammel walked the first two batters in the fifth inning and was replaced by right-hander Justin Grimm, who got out of the inning without any damage when left fielder Nori Aoki grounded to second for the third out.
Hammel allowed two runs on three hits, walked two and struck out four in his four-plus-inning outing.
Heston gave up five runs on five hits, walked two and struck out one in four innings.
NOTES: San Francisco RHP Mike Leake (9-6, 3.52 ERA) will miss Friday's scheduled start with a hamstring strain. RHP Ryan Vogelsong (7-7, 4.16 ERA), who was shifted to the bullpen in mid-July, will start in Leake's place and face Cubs LHP Jon Lester (6-8, 3.26 ERA). ... Thursday's game against the Cubs opened a stretch during which the Giants face nothing but teams with winning records until they visit Colorado on Sept. 3. The next 26 games (eight series) are against playoff-caliber teams. ... San Francisco came into the series leading the majors with a .295 average with batters in scoring position (.436 in their past seven games though Wednesday). ... Giants C Buster Posey was out of the starting lineup. He began the day second in the National League with a .332 average. ... Chicago 3B Kris Bryant has 61 RBIs, tops among NL rookies. Giants 3B Matt Duffy is second with 51.