The San Francisco Giants secured a thrilling 4-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night, driven by back-to-back home runs from Michael Conforto and David Villar in the second inning and a tiebreaking solo shot from Luis Matos in the fifth.
The Cubs, who have now lost four straight and 13 of their last 16 road games, saw Seiya Suzuki hit a home run in the fifth to tie the game. However, Matos’ homer off Drew Smyly (2-5) put the Giants back in front, and the team’s bullpen held on for the win.
Giants starter Hayden Birdsong, making his major league debut, showed promise with 4 2/3 innings of three-run ball, striking out five and walking three.
Luke Jackson (4-1) earned his fourth straight win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings, and Camilo Doval secured his 14th save in 16 chances with a shutout ninth.
The Cubs’ Hayden Wesneski, making his first start since May 8, allowed three runs on two hits and a walk with seven strikeouts in four innings. The Giants’ power-hitting lineup proved too much for the Cubs, with Conforto, Villar, and Matos all going deep.
Manager Bob Melvin praised his team’s depth, saying, “All of those guys have power…we spoke earlier in the year about a deep lineup and feeling like you have a chance to score any inning.”