For a few innings, the Cubs offense finally showed signs of life.
They opened up a 5-0 lead heading into the top of the fourth, and looked in complete control against the San Francisco Giants who were in town to open up a four game weekend series.
Then the wheels fell off for the Cubs.
A four-run fourth inning followed by a three-run fifth inning doomed the Cubs, and eventually was the turning point in a 7-6 Giants win.
The Cubs jumped all over Giants starter Ryan Vogelsong early, scoring the games first run on a Brent Lillibridge fielders choice in the bottom of the second.
A four-run third inning for the Cubs extended their lead to 5-0, lead by a Anthony Rizzo two-run home run that scored Starlin Castro. It was the third of the year for the young first baseman. A two run single by Lillibridge for his first hit of the season gave the feel that the Cubs were in control of the game.
Cubs pitcher Scott Feldman has a solid start through three innings, but then it got nasty for him. His command was off and he couldn’t find the strike zone. Feldman moves to 0-2 on the year in his first season with the Cubs.
That is until the Giants scored four runs in the fourth inning to pull to within one. A bases-loaded walk to Giants pitcher Vogelsong proved to be a crucial blow on a gloomy Thursday afternoon for the Cubs.
The scoring wasn’t done for the Giants however, as they added on three more runs the following inning to cushion their two run lead.
Vogelsong settled into a groove and hit his spots, retiring the final nine hitters he faced in the game. It’s Vogelsons first win on the year for the Giants.
As the Cubs fought back, the frustration continued to mount. Even as they scored one more run in the eighth, the Cubs still squandered scoring opportunities throughout the game. The final blow game when the Cubs wasted a one out double in the ninth by David DeJesus as they failed to get the tying run in on strikeouts by Starlin Castro and Rizzo.
The Cubs and Giants will play game two of this four game series tomorrow. First pitch is scheduled for 1:20 p.m. cst as Matt Cain (0-1) will take on Carlos Villanueva (0-1) in the pitching match-up.
Castro Comes Up Big in the Ninth; Cubs win 4-3
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