Giants fall to Cubs as Javier Assad beats San Francisco for second time in a week
SAN FRANCISCO — With a full week, instead of just a few minutes, to prepare this time around, the Giants didn’t find any more success against Javier Assad.Assad, who blanked San Francisco when called into emergency duty last week at Wrigley Field, was just as effective as the Cubs’ scheduled starter in a rematch Friday night.Well, that’s not entirely accurate.The Giants mustered just one hit in 6 ⅓ innings against Assad last week.They got to him for three singles this time but nothing else in a 5-1 loss.They needed more than that behind an erratic Landen Roupp, who struck out the first four batters of the game but exhausted 105 pitches and failed to complete five innings.Roupp issued both his walks to begin the fourth and the fifth innings, and both came around to score.
Seiya Suzuki’s double helped open a 2-0 lead in the fourth, and a two-bagger for Alex Bregman in the fifth gave the Cubs runners at second and third when Roupp’s day came to an end.Manager Tony Vitello called on Erik Miller to get the platoon advantage against Michael Busch, who promptly swatted a hanging slider into McCovey Cove to make it 5-0.The Giants’ lone run came off the bat of Bryce Eldridge, who was also responsible for two of their three hits against Assad.Moved up into the two-hole in a new-look lineup, Eldridge got the GIants on the board in the ninth with a one-out solo shot to right off Trent Thornton — his fourth of the season.It amounted to a banner night for Eldridge but nobody else in the Giants’ lineup.
The rookie finished 3-for-4 to raise his average to .316 and OPS to .959; his eight companions combined for one hit in 26 at-bats.A walk to Matt Chapman was all else that interrupted 18 in a row retired by Assad after a leadoff single from Luis Arraez that extended his hitting streak to 12 games.Assad had a 5.88 ERA when he was sent to Triple-A in May.In two outings against the Giants since being called back up, he has tossed 12 ⅓ scoreless innings, lowerin...