Giants Fail to Get Foothold to Kick Off Weekend Series with Cubs

The Cubbies beat San Francisco, 5-1, on Friday as the Giants offense goes to sleep in the start to their set with Chicago

San Francisco Giants pitcher Sam Hentges | John Hefti-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants were hoping to get off the blocks early and get a quick start when they hosted the Chicago Cubs for a three-game series this weekend at Oracle Park.

Unfortunately, the Giants came out flatfooted in the first contest, falling to the Cubs, 5-1, in what turned out to be a futile Friday at the plate.

The Giants' season-long run-scoring struggles were evident, as they didn't notch their only tally until the ninth inning. That type of apathy on offense was costly on Friday --- just as it has been for the better part of the year. That means now, according to Baseball Reference, the club has lost 12 games by two runs or fewer so far in the 2026 season. That's way too many times they've gone down in defeat when they were so close to the finish line.

San Francisco starter Landen Roupp took the loss to fall to 5-7 on the year. He surrendered four runs on four hits over 4.2 innings. On the other side of the rotation equation, Javier Assad (4-1) was outstanding for Chicago, striking out five, walking one, and allowing just three hits over six innings pitched.

For the Cubs, the biggest blast came from Michael Busch, who hit a three-run homer into McCovey Cove in the fifth inning. That splash was enough to be the difference as San Francisco's only run came from rookie sensation Bryce Eldridge, who blasted a solo shot for his fifth homer of the season. However, on the flip side, right fielder Jung Hoo Lee went hitless, ending an 18-game streak that was the longest by a Giant in 10 years.

Looking Ahead

Giants starting pitcher Trevor McDonald | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For the Giants (28-42), there isn't much more to do than just keep plugging away at this point. At least until they find their identity, one that has so far been about under-performing veterans like Rafael Devers and Willy Adames at the start of the season. There's been a ton of treacherous terrain in what has become a topsy-turvy 2026. This was a team built to be a wild-card contender, and they were supposed to get out of the gate much quicker than they did.

Series action will continue on Saturday, when the Giants will send RHP Trevor McDonald (2-3, 4.15 to the hill. He will be opposed by Chicago's Ben Brown, who has a 2-2 record with a 1.74 ERA so far in 2026. First pitch at Oracle Park is set for 8:05 PM Pacific Time.