Michael Busch gave the Cubs the swing they needed at Oracle Park, sending a three-run homer into McCovey Cove in the fifth inning to spark a 5-1 win over the Giants on Friday night.
The blast was Chicago’s fourth splash hit by a Cubs player and the first since Joc Pederson did it on June 3, 2021, according to www.espn.com. It also stood out in a game where Javier Assad kept San Francisco quiet for most of the night.
Assad improved to 4-1 after allowing three hits over six innings, striking out five and walking one. His throwing error on a pickoff attempt of Bryce Eldridge in the fourth could have opened the door, but he stranded Eldridge at third and avoided damage.
Chicago breaks through in the middle innings
Seiya Suzuki started the scoring by breaking up the shutout with an RBI double in the fourth. Nico Hoerner followed with a sacrifice fly moments later, and Busch later added the decisive blow after Pete Crow-Armstrong’s double and a leadoff walk to Carson Kelly against Landen Roupp.
Roupp took the loss and was charged with four runs on four hits in 4 2/3 innings. The Cubs finished the night with a win in three of their last seven games, while the Giants saw a recent surge in the matchup stall.
Giants lose streaks and a key run
San Francisco had crushed Chicago 18-3 last Friday and then won 2-1 in extra innings on Sunday, but the Cubs still hold the edge in the head-to-head series since the start of the 2025 season. The Giants are also 6-2 at Oracle Park in the series dating to the beginning of 2024.
Jung Hoo Lee went 0 for 3 and saw his career-best 18-game hitting streak end. It was the longest by a Giants batter since Angel Pagan hit safely in 19 straight from July 31-Aug. 23, 2016.
Hoby Milner handled the seventh inning, and Trent Thornton worked the final two frames, allowing Bryce Eldridge’s one-out homer in the ninth. The clubs will meet again with Ben Brown set to start for Chicago against Giants right-hander Trevor McDonald, who will be making his second straight start against the Cubs.
