Giants win 5th in a row
CHICAGO — Kris Bryant drew a pair of standing ovations in his return to Wrigley Field, then Evan Longoria and Brandon Belt homered in the seventh inning to send the San Francisco Giants over the Chicago Cubs 6-1 Friday for their fifth straight win.
The Giants, who entered 2 1/2 games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West, improved to a major league-best 91-50.
It was 1-all when Longoria hit a two-run homer that put San Francisco ahead. Belt connected for a two-run drive later in the inning.
While all eyes were on Bryant in this one, Belt has been fueling the Giants during their most recent surge.
The 33-year-old first baseman added a double and two walks, giving him eight hits in 17 at-bats his last four games.
“I don’t know if I can get more confident than I am right now,” Belt deadpanned. “I just named myself captain.”
Belt apparently proclaimed himself captain of the club on recent flight. Longoria joking responded by taping a “C” on the front of Belt’s jersey before Friday’s game — and Belt wore it while reaching base four times.
“I wasn’t going to wear it, but everybody thought that I should,” Belt said.
Not only is Belt swinging a hot bat, Longoria is picking up the pace, too, as the Giants roll toward the finish.
“I think I’m in a pretty good spot,” Longoria said. “I think I need a few more high-leverage at-bats.”
Rookie Frank Schwindel hit a solo drive for the Cubs, giving him 12 homers and seven in the last 11 games. Chicago lost for just the second time in 10 games.
Bryant was traded to the Giants for two prospects at the July 30 deadline as the rebuilding Cubs unloaded marquee stars who were set to become free agents after this season. The 29-year-old got a standing ovation from the crowd of 29,439 during a pregame video tribute and again before his first inning at-bat.
The slugger was the NL Rookie of the Year in 2015, then the NL MVP in 2016 when the Cubs won the World Series to end a 108year championship drought. In this one, Bryant went 0 for 3 with a walk, run and struck out swinging twice.