San Francisco wins 6th straight

CHICAGO — Tommy La Stella and Brandon Belt each hit three-run homers, and the San Francisco Giants pounded the Chicago Cubs 15-4 on Saturday for their sixth straight win.

La Stella finished with three hits, including a double, five RBIs and scored three runs for surging San Francisco, which improved to a major-league best 9250. The Giants entered 2½ games ahead of the Dodgers in the NL West.

La Stella’s home run off Tommy Nance in the fifth thudded off Wrigley’s rightfield videoboard and capped a six-run rally that allowed San Francisco to pull away for its eighth win in nine games.

Belt went deep and doubled for the second straight day. The Giants 33-year-old first baseman has 23 homers, with 12 in his last 28 games, and 10 hits in his last 21 at-bats.

Evan Longoria had three RBIs on two hits and a sacrifice fly, while Mike Yastrzemski drove in two runs. Kris Bryant had two singles, walked and scored two runs against his former team after going 0-for-3 with a walk in his emotional return to Wrigley on Friday.

The Cubs dropped their second straight, and third in four following a sevengame winning streak

Willson Contreras had two hits and two RBIs. Rookie Frank Schwindel had three hits.

Kevin Gausman (14-5) allowed three runs on eight hits, while walking none. The All-Star fanned nine and reached 200 strikeouts for a season for the first time in his career as he won his fifth straight decision.

Caleb Baragar tossed the final three innings for his second save.

Chicago’s Zach Davies (611) was roughed up for the second straight start, allowing five runs on four hits and three walks in two innings

Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward left in fourth after sliding into third and getting kneed in the head by Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford. Crawford was covering the bag on a throw and struck Heyward as he tried to jump over him.

The Cubs jumped ahead 1-0 in the first, but the Giants stormed back with five in the second. La Stella’s single with the bases loaded drove in the first two. Belt followed with his three-run shot.