Gausman dominates, Giants beat Cubs for third straight day originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Whatever was ailing Kevin Gausman‘s hip after his last start wasn’t bothering him at all Saturday at Oracle Park.
Gausman dominated the Chicago Cubs over seven innings as the Giants won 4-3 for their third straight victory.
The Giants will go for the four-game sweep of the NL Central-leading Cubs on Sunday.
Gausman lowered his ERA this season from 1.40 to 1.27 on Saturday. He allowed just two hits, two unearned runs, walked none and struck out 10.
The only runs that scored on Gausman’s watch came after Brandon Crawford made his fourth error of the season, allowing Anthony Rizzo to reach base. Three batters later, Patrick Wisdom crushed a 418-foot homer to center field.
Gausman didn’t allow a Cubs base runner past first base after the second inning.
Once again, the Giants’ offense picked up the starting pitcher. Alex Dickerson got the Giants on the board with a solo homer to left in the third inning.
The Giants took the lead in the fourth inning on RBI singles by Chadwick Tromp and LaMonte Wade Jr.
Brandon Crawford added an insurance run in the fifth with an RBI double that plated Evan Longoria.
Jake McGee pitched a scoreless eighth inning, but the Cubs scratched across a run on Tyler Rogers in the ninth due to some rough defense, including a collision between Crawford and Longoria. But the Giants’ closer was able to escape a jam to preserve the win.
Gausman is coming off a strong May in which he was named NL Pitcher of the Month and he picked up right where he left off. It’s likely that won’t be the last honor or award he received this season.