Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO — With the possibility of taking the series on the horizon, San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy switched his rotation up and Derek Holland got the start.

Holland pitched well, but it was his double to Addison Russell that proved to what the Chicago Cubs.

Russell doubled off of Holland with one out in the top of the seventh inning, and that was the end of the line for Holland, who pitched a great game.

Sam Dyson uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Russell, and on the play, Nick Hundley’s throw went past Pablo Sandoval that allowed Russell to score and the Cubs defeated the Giants 2-0 before a crowd of 39,113 at AT&T Park on Tuesday night.

Dyson then walked Kyle Schwarber, but Hundley threw Schwarber out at second base for the second out of the inning. It looked like the Giants might get out of the jam, but Dyson walked Ian Happ and then Victor Cartini doubled to right field that allowed Happ to score from first base.

It was a hard-fought loss for Holland, who went 6.1 innings, allowing just one run on five hits, not walking a batter and striking out eight, as he saw his record fall to 5-8 on the season.

The eight strikeouts by Holland tied his season-high, as he also struck out eight on June 26 against the Colorado Rockies in a 3-2 Giants victory.

The two-run seventh inning made a winner out of Jose Quintana, who went six innings, allowing just three hits, walking two and striking out three, as he improved to 8-6 on the season.

Double plays cost the Giants as well, as they hit into two inning-ending double plays that could have possibly given them the lead.

With runners on first and second with nobody out in the bottom of the third inning, Hundley grounded into the first Giants double play of the evening.

Gorkys Hernandez led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a walk, but was cut down at second base, when Andrew McCutchen grounded into a double play that ended that frame and the Cubs took the lead in the following inning.

Hernandez, who was retired on the McCutchen double play to end the bottom of the sixth inning was the Giants runner to reach base, as the Cubs bullpen trio of Carl Edwards, Justin Wilson and Steve Cishek retired the final nine Giants batters.

Ray Black made his second appearance on the mound for the Giants after an inauspicious major league debut, where he walked two and gave up a pinch-hit three-run home run to Matt Carpenter in the top of the eighth inning in the Giants’ 13-8 victory over the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon.

Black struck out National League All-Star starting catcher Wilson Contreras to begin the inning for his first Major League strikeout. Russell then made it two strikeouts in a row, as he struck out for the second out of the inning. After falling behind Schwarber 3-1, Black regrouped to get Schwarber to pop out to Brandon Crawford for the third out of the inning.

Steve Cishek pitched a perfect ninth inning to pick up his third save of the season, just one night after being the losing pitcher in a 2-1 Giants win in the opener of the three-game series.

Even though he committed the error that ultimately gave the Cubs the game, Hundley was able to throw two runners out at second base. Hundley got David Bote to end the top of the second inning, after Bote got the first hit of the game for the Cubs.

Hundley then got Schwarber just after he walked in the top of the seventh inning, where the Cubs scored all the only runs of the game.

Chase d’Arnaud made his first start as a Giant, and responded by getting a single in the bottom of the fifth inning.

NOTES: Johnny Cueto will take the mound on Wednesday afternoon, as the Giants look for the series win., while Mike Montgomery will take the hill for the Cubs.

Unless the two teams meet each other in the postseason, Wednesday afternoon will be the final time that the two teams will meet this season.

After not having a day off since June 25, the Giants will be off on Thursday before opening a three-game series against the Oakland Athletics on Friday night at AT&T Park.

During the 16-game stretch with one game remaining before the day off, the Giants are 8-7, as they faced the Rockies twice, the Arizona Diamondbacks, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cubs.

Joe Panik could be back in about three weeks, instead of close to six weeks that was originally stated.

“It’s getting batter, still a lot of season left and the team is playing well,” said Panik.

Evan Longoria is increasing his baseball activity, and should be back around the first week of August.

“All hands are on deck, (meaning starters) for guys who need a break out of the bullpen,” said Bruce Bochy.

This was the first time that the Giants were shutout at home this season, and the first time since September 16, 2017 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

UP NEXT: The Giants conclude their series with the Cubs Wednesday afternoon at 12:45 pm PDT.