CHICAGO (AP) – Anthony Rizzo homered twice and Cole Hamels pitched six innings for his first win in two months, helping the Chicago Cubs top the San Francisco Giants 5-3 on Tuesday night.
Nicholas Castellanos also went deep as Chicago earned its third straight victory. Jonathan Lucroy contributed a key run-scoring single after the Cubs won a replay challenge.
Hamels (7-4) permitted three runs and five hits in his first win since June 12 at Colorado. The left-hander went 0-2 with a 6.12 ERA in his previous six starts, including a shaky performance at Philadelphia last week.
San Francisco dropped to 3-2 on a nine-game trip. Austin Slater hit a two-run homer for the Giants, and Kevin Pillar added a solo drive.
The game was tied at 3 when the Cubs went ahead to stay in the fifth, helped by a successful challenge.
With no outs and Rizzo on first, Javier Baez hit a hard grounder to first baseman Brandon Belt. Apparently thinking Belt grabbed the ball out of the air, Rizzo headed back to the bag as Baez motored down the line.
Rizzo and Baez bumped into each other just beyond the bag as shortstop Abiatal Avelino made the relay to first. It was originally called a double play, but Baez was ruled safe after the review.
Baez then advanced on Kyle Schwarber’s walk and scored when Lucroy singled against Fernando Abad (0-1). Lucroy’s liner went off Belt’s glove and into right field.
Kyle Ryan and Rowan Wick each got three outs before Craig Kimbrel finished for his 10th save in 12 chances. It was Kimbrel’s first save opportunity since he returned Sunday after being sidelined by right knee inflammation.
Rizzo went 3 for 3 and scored three times in his first multihomer game this season. Castellanos hit his seventh homer in 18 games since he was acquired in a July 31 trade with Detroit.
Rizzo gave Chicago a 3-2 lead when he led off the third with his 23rd homer, a drive to right off Tyler Beede. But Pillar responded with his team-high 18th homer in the fourth.
