CHICAGO — Maybe it was the heavy hearts they were playing with, or perhaps it just took too long to wake up for the only matinee of their series at Wrigley Field.
Either way, it took until the sixth inning for the Giants to muster their first hit against Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks, who took an 8.20 ERA into the game, falling into such a deep hole that even Jorge Soler’s late grand slam wasn’t enough to resuscitate their chances in a 6-5 loss.
Now headed to Birmingham, Alabama, to celebrate the life and career of Willie Mays, who died Tuesday afternoon, the Giants will be seeking to rebound against the Cardinals after dropping two of three to their National League Central rivals. They will play one game at historic Rickwood Field, which predates 110-year-old Wrigley Field by four years, then head to St. Louis after an off day to wrap up their two-series swing through the Central Time Zone.
“It’s going to be very difficult for us because were hoping that (Mays) was going to be present there, and he’s not going to be there,” Soler said through Spanish-language interpreter Erwin Higueros. “But I’m sure his spirit is going to be there.”
Launching a 444-foot blast that would have landed on Waveland Avenue if not for a billboard impeding its path, Soler turned a 6-1 deficit into a one-run game with one two-out swing in the top of the eighth, making their defensive miscues the previous inning loom large.
The Cubs plated three runs in the bottom of the seventh, which started when Mike Yastrzemski lost a fly ball in the sun and ended with Wilmer Flores flubbing a rundown.
“The defense in that inning, period,” manager Bob Melvin said, dissecting the loss. “We lose the ball in the sun to lead the inning off. We don’t play very good defense there. It could have been a completely different inning as far as giving up a three-spot.”
With a runner on third and two outs in the seventh, Dansby Swanson broke from first base and got caught in a rundown. It would have been the third out of the inning and stranded Christopher Morel at third, but he wound up scoring the decisive run when Flores dropped a soft toss from Brett Wisely, allowing Swanson to sneak back safely to first.
“He just dropped it,” Melvin said. “That’s exactly how we want to run (that play). A lot of times in those situations you don’t even want to throw through (to second base), but I thought we handled that really well. We just didn’t finish it off.”
The game featured double plays of the 1-2-3 and unassisted variety on the Giants side — Spencer Bivens starting the first to escape a bases-loaded jam in the third and Brett Wisely snagging a line drive and stepping on second base in the fifth — as well as three ground-rule doubles, the third and final of which was the ball Yastrzemski lost in the sun in the right field, allowing it to bounce over the ivy-covered wall and kickstart a three-run seventh inning against Howard.
“Now it’s a man on second to lead off the inning instead of an out,” Melvin said. “That’s a little different story as it goes along, too.”
Soler’s struggles with runners in scoring position have been well-documented, but he’s delivered two big hits of late. In addition to his grand slam Wednesday, he launched a three-run homer in the Giants’ 13-6 win over the Angels on Saturday.
Fouling off two prime pitches to hit earlier in his at-bat, Soler squared up a hanging curveball on the eighth pitch he saw from Tyson Miller.
“During that at-bat, he threw me a lot of breaking balls and I was able to make my adjustment,” Soler said. “I continue to work in the hitting cage. I go outside and I visualize hitting with men in scoring position. I just keep trying to keep my head up and try to compete. I’ve been feeling a lot better.”
Despite not registering one 90 mph reading on the radar gun, Hendricks struck out eight batters and generated 14 swings and misses, each his most in one game since at least 2022, and did so in only 74 pitches over 5⅔ innings. After issuing a walk to the Giants’ second batter of the game, Heliot Ramos, he didn’t allow another runner to reach base until Thairo Estrada doubles to lead off the sixth inning, eventually coming around to score their first run.
“He was executing all of his pitches. Every pitch that came out of his hand looked the same,” Soler said. “So he was just hard to hit today.”
If that sounds familiar, well, Hendricks took a no-hit bid two innings further at Oracle Park last June, until Mitch Haniger broke it up with a double in the eighth inning. In 13 career starts against the Giants, the 34-year-old right-hander owns a 2.30 ERA, his best mark against any opponent he’s faced at least 10 times.
“You know, it’s changeup-fastball where you kind of sit with him,” Melvin said. “Threw some curveballs, too, and we were kind of in between, I think. You kind of have to pick a pitch with him. Look changeup or look heater. And he located well.”
Despite his engorged ERA this season, Hendricks had strung together 8⅔ scoreless innings in three relief appearances entering his start against the Giants, whose amalgam of bullpen and bulk arms was no match for his crafty four-pitch mix.
In one of two vacant rotation spots, Melvin employed six pitchers, of whom only Sean Hjelle and Ryan Walker were able to record 1-2-3 innings.
Thanks to the pair of creative double plays, however, the Cubs plated all six of their runs in between the fourth against Bivens and the seventh against Spencer Howard.
Bivens, signed out of independent ball last fall, served up back-to-back home runs to Ian Happ and Swanson to begin the fourth, and a third run scored when Matt Chapman bobbled a bunt from Pete Crow-Armstrong and airmailed the throw to first base in an attempt to recover.
Chapman was charged with two errors on the play — one for the bobble and another for the throw — which along with Flores’ raised their season total to 48, tied for the third-most in the majors.
“You know, the first 20 games of the season we were up there defensively,” Melvin said. “Since then, we haven’t been as good. It’s been some big innings and extra outs that cost us some ballgames, like today. So, we have the ability to be better.”
Up next
The Giants travel to Birmingham, Alabama, where they play the St. Louis Cardinals at historic Rickwood Field. Following an extensive slate of pregame ceremonies honoring the late Willie Mays and the other 180 future Hall of Famers to pass through the 114-year-old ballpark, RHP Keaton Winn (3-7, 6.66) will face off against RHP Andre Pallente (2-3, 4.61).
First pitch is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. PT, televised nationally on FOX. The game will also air on the scoreboard at Oracle Park, which will open its gates for fans at noon.
