San Francisco Giants’ Matt Chapman (26) celebrates after hitting a two-run home run that also scored Wilmer Flores (41) during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in San Francisco, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

By Lincoln Juarez

Justin Verlander threw six strong innings Tuesday night to earn his first career win at Oracle Park. Flores and Chapman homered off Cubs pitching and Luis Matos stayed hot at the plate for a 5-2 win.

The Giants returned from an off-day and a 3-4 road trip Tuesday night to Oracle Park to host the Chicago Cubs, fresh off a sweep of the Angels in Anaheim over the weekend. In game one of the series, Justin Verlander made his 23rd start as a Giant hoping for his second win of the year. 

Verlander tossed a scoreless 1st inning and former Giant, Matt Boyd, who spent part of the 2022 campaign in San Francisco on the injured list, matched him in the home half for the Cubs. Boyd, who went into Tuesday’s game 12-6, 2.61, was making his 26th start of the year. 

The two veterans dueled it out on the mound through the first few innings with the score 1-0 in the Giants’ favor. Wilmer Flores hit his 14th home run of the season in the bottom of the second inning to put the Giants ahead 1-0. That was the only run scored through the first three innings. 

The Cubs offense got started in the top of the fourth when Ian Happ doubled and later came around to score on a Matt Shaw single. 

Chicago got to Verlander again in the fifth, scoring a two-out run to take the lead. Pete Crow-Armstrong hustled out a double and scored on a base hit by Carson Kelly, easily beating the throw home. 

The Giants came together to respond in the home half of the inning. Rallying to put Verlander in line for the win, Luis Matos got the fun started with a lead-off double off the bricks in right field to extend his hitting streak to five games. After Patrick Bailey popped out and Drew Gilbert went down swinging, Heliot Ramos came through to give the Giants a two-out run of their own and tie the game. 

Rafael Devers followed with a bloop single that fell in shallow left field to score Ramos and the Giants took the lead. 

Verlander set the Cubs down in order in the sixth and finished his night, 6.0ip, 7h, 2er, 2bb, 5k. 

The Giants did nothing but add to the lead, scoring two more in the sixth inning on a Matt Chapman home run (17). 

Joey Lucchesi, Jose Butto, and Ryan Walker combined for three shutout innings to preserve Justin Verlander’s first career win at Oracle Park. 

Postgame when Verlander was asked about his outing and the win, he put it quite simply… “Feels good”. 

The Giants have won three in a row and started the homestand strong. Carson Whisenhunt (1-1, 4.91) will face the Cubs’ Colin Rea (10-5, 3.96) Wednesday night at Oracle Park. 

First pitch 6:45pm.