06/12/26 11:56:00
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06/12 23:54 CDT Michael Busch hits 3-run homer to back Javier Assad's strong
start, Cubs beat Giants 5-1
Michael Busch hits 3-run homer to back Javier Assad's strong start, Cubs beat
Giants 5-1
By JANIE McCAULEY
AP Baseball Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) --- Michael Busch hit a three-run homer into McCovey Cove
beyond right field in the fifth inning to back Javier Assad's strong start on
the mound, and the Chicago Cubs beat the San Francisco Giants 5-1 on Friday
night.
Busch's drive was the 176th splash hit at Oracle Park, 68th by an opponent and
fourth by a Cubs player --- first since Joc Pederson on June 3, 2021.
Seiya Suzuki broke up a scoreless game with an RBI double in the fourth then
scored moments later on Nico Hoerner's sacrifice fly.
Assad (4-1) struck out five, walked one and allowed three hits over six innings
to win his third straight decision spanning seven starts. His throwing error on
a pickoff attempt of Bryce Eldridge in the fourth could have been costly but
the right-hander stranded Eldridge on third.
Hoby Milner pitched the seventh and Trent Thornton the final two innings,
surrendering Eldridge's one-out homer in the ninth.
Busch greeted reliever Erik Miller with his eighth home run after Chicago put
runners aboard on Pete Crow-Armstrong's double and a leadoff walk by Carson
Kelly against Giants starter Landen Roupp (5-7). Roupp was tagged for four runs
on four hits over 4 2/3 innings.
Chicago won for the third time in its last seven games.
San Francisco had beaten the Cubs 18-3 last Friday then 2-1 in extra innings
Sunday --- but the Giants dropped to 7-3 overall in the matchups since the
start of the 2025 season, outscoring the Cubs 63-35. San Francisco is 6-2 at
Oracle Park in the series dating to the beginning of 2024.
Jung Hoo Lee went 0 for 3 and had his career-best 18-game hitting streak
snapped --- longest by a Giants batter since Angel Pagan hit in 19 in a row
from July 31-Aug. 23, 2016.
Up next
RHP Ben Brown (2-2, 1.74 ERA) pitches the middle game for Chicago opposite
Giants RHP Trevor McDonald (2-3, 4.15), making his second straight start
against the Cubs.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
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