SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs’ offensive malaise continues to drag on, and it spoiled another great start by a resurgent Kyle Hendricks late Tuesday night on the West Coast.
The veteran right-hander delivered his longest start of the season, limiting the San Francisco Giants to two runs on five hits while walking one and striking out four in seven innings.
But Hendricks — now 1-5 this season — still took the loss, because the Cubs’ offense did little in dropping their third straight game overall, 5-1 this time, and second in the four-game series in San Francisco.
The teams play Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon to conclude their season series. The Cubs won two of three when they met at Wrigley Field last week.
With Monday’s loss, the Cubs are now a season-worst six games under .500 at 37-43, last place in the National League Central entering play Wednesday.
The Cubs are also 3-12 in their last 15 road games after managing just a run on four hits against six San Francisco pitchers Monday night. The Giants used a bullpen game, giving rookie reliever Randy Rodríguez his first career start.
He allowed one run and one hit with five strikeouts and two walks in 2 2/3 innings, and the Cubs couldn’t score another run off the five Giants pitchers who combined to finish the game after Rodríguez departed.
All four of the Cubs’ hits were singles. They drew four walks, struck out 11 times and had just thee at-bats with runners in scoring position.
“It was a quiet night,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “I think we had three at-bats with runners in scoring position. We didn’t have an extra-base hit.
“You’re not going to have a big night offensively with numbers like that.”
Giants add on
Hendricks, now 7-3 in 14 career starts against the Giants, has come on strong after a rough start to the season.
He’s allowed just three runs in five June appearances, the last two starting and the previous three out of the bullpen. That covers 21 1/3 innings, over which Hendricks has struck out 16 while walking just four and allowing only 13 hits.
Both runs allowed by Hendricks on Monday night came in the bottom of the second, but he rebounded with five straight scoreless innings before departing with the Cubs trailing, 2-1.
But that one-run deficit turned into four runs in the bottom of the eighth, as the Giants scored three times off Cubs reliever Colten Brewer.
Matt Chapman’s two-run single highlighted the inning, while Michael Conforto added an RBI single and David Villar and Jorge Soler each had sacrifice flies during the game to help the Giants win their second straight following a five-game skid.
“It’s huge,” San Francisco catcher Patrick Bailey said. “I mean, we obviously didn’t like how the road trip (before) went, but just kind of got to show up the next day and try to win a ballgame, and hopefully we can keep things going.”
Conforto’s run-scoring single gave San Francisco a 1-0 lead in the second, and Villar’s sacrifice fly made it 2-0.
Michael Busch had an RBI single in the third for the Cubs, hitting a two-out single to center to score Nico Hoerner, who drew a walk with two outs and stole second before Busch’s base hit.
Sean Hjelle then came in to replace Rodríguez, and Cody Bellinger greeted him with a single to put runners on first and third. But Hjelle struck out Seiya Suzuki to end the threat and finished with two scoreless innings before Taylor Rogers, Ryan Walker, Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval protected the lead over the final 4 1/3.
Tyler Rogers (1-2) was credited with the win after pitching a scoreless eighth.
“I just think as a collective unit, it’s been really fun to be a part of this year and be down there,” Hjelle said of the Giants’ bullpen. “I feel like guys are ready all the time in any situation. Nobody’s really shying away from innings.”
Trainer’s room
Cubs: LHP Shota Imanaga will get an extra day of rest and make his next start Thursday. Imanaga allowed a season-high 10 runs in three innings last Friday against the Mets.
Up next
Cubs RHP Hayden Wesneski (2-4, 3.29 ERA) will start a bullpen game Wednesday night, while the Giants will call up 22-year-old RHP Hayden Birdsong from Triple-A Sacramento to make his MLB debut.
First pitch is scheduled for 8:45 p.m.