Thairo Estrada and bullpen lift SF Giants to 4-2 victory over Cubs

The SF Giants finally won a bullpen game thanks to a well-rounded effort from the pitching staff alongside big homers from Wilmer Flores and Thairo Estrada.

The SF Giants defeated the Chicago Cubs 4-2 on Sunday Night Baseball, finishing their trip to Chicago with a series victory thanks to a pair of homers and a fantastic performance by the bullpen.

While San Francisco has lost two bullpen games over the past week, manager Gabe Kapler returned to reliever John Brebbia for his second start of the season. The Giants bullpen was finally able to pass the baton without anyone imploding against one of the worst teams in MLB.

Brebbia worked around a lead-off single by Zach McKinstry in the first inning before Tyler Rogers completed two shutout frames. 

Cubs starter Wade Miley got off to a strong start, inducing plenty of soft contact while working around a few Giants hits through three-shutout innings. However, the Giants' offense got on the scoreboard when they faced him a second time.

Designated hitter J.D. Davis led off the fifth inning with a line drive double that came off his bat at 103.3 mph. Miley struck out Evan Longoria and David Villar to get within one out of escaping the inning unscathed before Thairo Estrada singled past a diving McKinstry at second base for an RBI single.

Yunior Marte allowed the Cubs to tie the game in the bottom of the fifth, surrendering a double to McKinstry and an RBI single to Rafael Ortega in his second (and final) inning.

The Cubs replaced Miley at the end of the fifth inning, replacing the southpaw with right-handed pitcher Hayden Wesneski, a prospect Chicago acquired from the Yankees at the deadline. Estrada blasted a solo homer in Wesneski's second inning of work to give the Giants a 2-1 lead.

Zack Littell replaced Marte in the sixth, going 1.2 innings before he was pulled for lefty Scott Alexander with Ortega coming to the plate. Cubs manager David Ross countered by pinch-hitting Patrick Wisdom, but before Wisdom finished his plate appearance, catcher Joey Bart threw out McKinstry trying to advance to second.

In his third inning of work, Wesneski allowed two more runs. Center fielder Lewis Brinson had an excellent plate appearance to lead off the inning with a walk setting up Wilmer Flores for a two-run homer when Wesneski hung a slider in a 2-2 count.

The Giants bullpen showed its first signs of shakiness in the bottom half of the eight. Alexander immediately gave up one of San Francisco's insurance runs by surrendering a solo homer to Seiya Suzuki. Then, a two-out single by Franmil Reyes and walk by Christopher Morel brought the lead run to the plate. Kapler decided to trust his closer Camilo Doval with a shot at a four-out save.

Doval retired Nelson Velasquez to end the rally. In the ninth, he hit Yan Gomes to give Chicago a lead-off baserunner and seemed to lose his control but induced a double play from David Bote after a mound visit from Bart. McKinstry completed the homeless cycle with a two-out triple but was stranded at third.

Bay Area sports fans have long awaited this weekend's series in Chicago, which coincided with the San Francisco 49ers playing their first game of the season in Chicago this Sunday as well. After the Niners blew a 10-0 lead earlier in the day, the SF Giants made sure Sunday was not a total washout for San Francisco sports fans. Now 67-73, the Giants will hop on a red-eye flight home for a three-game series against Atlanta, starting tomorrow at 6:45 PM Pacific.