Cubs 7, Giants 3
CHICAGO -- Left-hander Jon Lester allowed two runs on six hits in a strong seven-inning outing while Chicago Cubs batters backed him with a 12-hit attack in a 7-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Friday.
The win was the eighth in nine games for the Cubs (60-48) and second straight in the showdown series between National League wild card contenders.
Chicago is now a season-high 12-games above .500. The Giants (59-50) suffered their second loss in-a-row.
Lester (7-8) also struck out three and walked two in his second straight win and third since July 19.
Right-hander Hector Rondon worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings for his 18th save.
Giants right-handed starter Ryan Vogelsong (7-8) took the loss after working just four-plus innings.
Cubs center fielder Dexter Fowler went 3-for-5 with a double, homer and one run scored. Giants catcher Buster Posey returned from a night off to go 2-for-4 with a run.
The Cubs jumped out 1-0 in the first on second baseman Chris Coghlan's RBI single to right center drove in left fielder Kyle Schwarber, who had doubled to the wall in left-center.
Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford singled in catcher Buster Posey from second base with one out in the second to even the score.
Vogelsong departed after giving up back-to-back doubles with none out in the fifth to Cubs shortstop Addison Russell and Fowler.
Vogelsong was responsible for two more runs after left-handed reliever Jeremy Affeldt gave up a two-RBI infield single to Schwarber.
Affeldt walked Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant with two out and departed for right-hander Yusmeiro Petit.
Right fielder Jorge Soler then doubled to deep left to score Schwarber and Bryant and catcher David Ross singled to center to drive in Soler for a 5-1 lead.
Vogelsong allowed three runs on six hits, struck out six and walked one in four-plus innings of work.
Lester gave up one run in the seventh as right-fielder Hunter Pence singled home third baseman Matt Duffy with none out.
But Lester got Crawford to ground into a double play and escaped further damage when pinch hitter Ehire Adrianza had an inning-ending infield popup.
Cubs right-handed reliever Tommy Hunter entered in the eighth and was greeted by left fielder Nori Aoki's pinch-hit solo home run that cut the Cubs lead to 6-3.
Fowler added an insurance run in the eighth, a two-out solo homer run to make it 7-3.
NOTES: Giants RHP Ryan Vogelsong got the start after RHP Mike Leake was scratched with a left hamstring strain this week. The Giants placed Leake on the 15-day disabled list. The Giants recalled LHP Josh Osich from Triple-A Sacramento to take Leake's roster spot. ... San Francisco was averaging 4.98 runs per game on the road entering Friday, second best in the big leagues behind Toronto (5.04). ... Giants SS Brandon Crawford entered Friday with a career-high 19 homers, as many as he has hit in the two previous seasons combined. ... San Francisco RHP Matt Cain (2-2, 4.91 ERA) will go against Chicago RHP Kyle Hendricks (5-5, 3.67) on Saturday. ... The Cubs activated C Miguel Montero (left thumb sprain) from the 15-day disabled list and optioned OF Matt Szczur to Triple-A Iowa. Szczur was batting .217 in 36 games for Chicago this season. ... Chicago also benched All-Star SS Starlin Castro in favor of rookie Addison Russell, who moved over from second base. Castro, a .278 lifetime hitter, was batting just .236 this season. ... The Cubs' 5-4 win over the Giants on Thursday was their 59th win in 107 games. In 2014, they didn't reach 59 wins until their 131st game, on Aug. 26.