San Francisco Giant Luis Gonzalez launches a two run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sat Jul 30, 2022 (AP News photo)

Chicago (41-59). 4. 10. 0

San Francisco (50-51). 5. 7. 1

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–Ring Lardner famously remarked, “I went to the fights last night, and a hockey game broke out.” That was New York; this is San Francisco, where 40,971 thrill seekers went to a love in this afternoon, and an hour later a baseball game broke out. The love in was a celebration of Will The Thill Clark on the occasion of his uniform number 22 being retired. The game was a nailbitting San Francisco Giants’ win over the Chicago Cubs 5-4.

29 year old right hander Jakob Junis toed the rubber at 6:16 with a record of 4-2, and finished his labors for the day after hurling six innings of shutout ball that included five hits and a walk against four strikeouts. He threw 74 pitches, 45 for strikes. Because he hadn’t pitched the requisite five frames, he got a no decision. His performance lowered his ERA to 3.78.

Pitching for the Windy -but not as windy as Clark’s beloved Candlestick Park- City was southpaw Drew Smyly, totting a 3-5,3.93 record with him. He, too, lasted only four innings on the mound, but with less impressive results. He gave up five runs, all earned, on seven hits, two of which left the park (one into McCovey Cove), and a pair of walks He managed to rack up five Ks. He took the loss that left him 3-6, 4.42.

It was the Giants who drew first blood. With one away in the bottom of the third, Darin Ruf drew a walk and motored his way home on Austin Slater’s booming double to center. Slater, in turn, notched San Francisco’s second tally on an authoritative single to left off the bat of Yermín Mercedes. That’s where the score stood when the inning drew to a close, 2-1 in favor of the home team.

The Giants extended their lead in the next frame. David Villar led off with a grounder that bounced off the glove of third baseman Wisdom, going to his left, and into left field for a single. Luis González then launched a 394 foot splash hit for his fourth home run of the season, only to be followed by Joey Bart´s seventh, a 411 shot into the left field bleachers. That one-two punch put San Francisco ahead five zip.

One inning short of qualifying for the win, Junis left the game in favor of submariner Tyler Rogers, who pitched a perfect fifth and sixth. Jarlín García replaced him in the top of the seventh

Smyly also exited after four innings. replaced by Mark Leiter, Jr., whose performance in the home fifth was marred by his beaning Estrada with an 84 mph changeup that kept the Giants’ shortstop supine and motionless, for several minutes before he was moved to the clubhouse. Lieter remained in the game until there were two down and a runner on first in the bottom of the seventh. That’s when Steven Brault relieved him.

After García yielded singles to pinch hitter PJ Higgins and second sacker David Bote, interspersed with a strikeout of Alfonso Rivas, Yuniór Marte took over mound duties of the home team. Nelson Velásquez as pinch hitter was the countermove and he hit a run producing single to right that brought in PJ Higgins with Chicago’s first tally.

It was charged to Jarlin García. Marte then quickly disposed of Willson Contreras and Seiya Suzuki to keep the score 5-1.

Austin Slater just missed a home run to open the Giants’ half of the seventh. He slammed a drive inches outside the left field foul pole before striking out. Leiter walked Yermin Mercedes and then caught Flores looking.

At this point, southpaw Steven Brault came in to face the left handed Belt and Jason Vosler, who had replaced the injured Thairo Estrada. The tactic worked, and we went into the eighth with San Francisco leading the Cubs, 5-1, where it stayed after Marte’s one, two, three put down of the North Siders.

Marte came out in the top of the ninth to face the bottom third of Chicago’s batting order. He began by plunking Yan Gomes with an 85 mph slider. He advanced to second on a hit to third that was so weak it didn’t draw a throw.

But it was enough to drive Marte from the mound and bring in Dominic Leone in search of his third save in six opportunities. David Boite touched him for a first pitch single to center that loaded the bases with none out and the top of the order coming up.

Nelson Velásquez hit a grounder to short, and for some reason second base umpire Charlie Ramos called Bote safe at second, which scored a run. Contreras hit another double play ball to short but Wilson Flores´s relay to first drew Belt off the bag at first. Higgins scored, and Boite went to third.

Suzuki also grounded out to short, which brought in David Bote. Just like that, it was. one run game. Then, with the count at 3-1, Ian Hopp grounded out to second, and the Giants had pulled off a 5-4 skin of their teeth victory.

The scorer named Tyler Rogers as the winning pitcher. He’s now 2-3, 4.56. Leone got that third save.

So far, there has been no report on Estrada’s condition.

The series continues tomorrow at 4:08 pm PDT. Adrian Sampson (0-1, 3.20) will start for Chicago and Carlos Rodón (8-6, 3.18) will take the mound for the home team at Oracle Park.