The Cubs followed a painfully familiar script, this time on the West Coast, as a strong performance by their starting pitcher was wasted by too many missed chances on offense and another failure by the bullpen to hold a late lead.
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It all added up to a frustrating 5-4 loss in San Francisco, as Wilmer Flores drew a bases-loaded, walk-off walk in the bottom of the ninth inning to cap a wild comeback that ended with the Giants snapping a five-game skid and the Cubs scratching their heads over letting another one slip away.
Despite seven-plus innings of two-run ball from starter Justin Steele, the Cubs matched their season-worst mark of five games under .500, falling to 37-42 and into last place in the National League Central entering play Tuesday.
The Cubs and Giants play three more games in San Francisco, before the Cubs head to Milwaukee for a three-game weekend series against the first-place Brewers.
Missed opportunities
Steele, who was seeking to end a streak of 14 straight winless starts going back to last season, certainly did his part Monday night, striking out nine, walking one and allowing six hits in 7 1/3 innings.
Steele departed in the bottom of the seventh with the Cubs holding a 4-2 lead, but it could’ve been a lot more.
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Chicago took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth on Michael Busch’s RBI single, which loaded the bases with just one out. But the Cubs settled for just the one run when Tomás Nido struck out and Pete Crow-Armstrong grounded out to end the inning.
The Cubs scored three more in the top of the fifth to take a 4-0 lead and still had runners on second and third with just one out following Dansby Swanson’s run-scoring double to right. But they failed to break the game open, as Busch and Nido struck out to end the inning.
After Matt Chapman hit a leadoff solo homer to left off Steele in the bottom of the fifth to get the Giants on the board, Crow-Armstrong tripled to right and Nico Hoerner reached on an infield single to open the sixth, putting runners on first and third with no outs.
But Seiya Suzuki popped out, then Cody Bellinger and Christopher Morel both struck out, stranding the runners as the Cubs failed once again to add to their lead.
“There’s no question we left runs on the bases, for sure, and that plays into it as well,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said of another frustrating loss.
“We could have had five, six, seven on the board by just moving the ball forward, and we didn’t do it, and we’ve got to do better at that. That was a game that we should’ve broken open, and that cost us. It doesn’t cost you every game, but it certainly cost you tonight.”
The inability to add runs caught up to the Cubs, as Nick Ahmed homered to left off Steele to begin the bottom of the sixth and pull the Giants within 4-2.
It stayed that way until the bottom of the ninth, when Counsell called on Colten Brewer for the save opportunity.
Chapman started the Giants’ rally with a leadoff bloop double, then Thairo Estrada reached on a bunt single. Pinch-hitter Michael Conforto scored Chapman with a sacrifice fly, and Counsell called on lefty Drew Smyly to replace Brewer.
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Patrick Bailey singled and Ahmed walked to greet Smyly and load the bases, then Austin Slater tied the game at 4-4 with a sacrifice fly to center.
The Cubs elected to intentionally walk Heliot Ramos to load the bases again, trying to get to extra innings, but Flores — the eighth Giants player to bat in the ninth — foiled that plan by drawing a five-pitch walk off Smyly (2-4) to end the game.
Giants reliever Spencer Howard (1-1) struck out eight and walked one in 4 2/3 scoreless innings of four-hit ball, as the Giants secured a memorable win on a night they honored franchise legend and Hall of Famer Willie Mays, who died last week at age 93.
Every Giants player wore No. 24, Mays’ number, for Monday’s game.
“We all got to wear No. 24, and that’s pretty cool,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said.
“All the stuff pregame, it certainly gets your attention, and we’ve been thinking about this all week and finally win a game for him. Whether it was Rickwood (Field in Birmingham Ala., where the Giants played last week) or whatever, we had trouble winning games during his tributes, so it was good to be able to do it at home here.”
Trainer’s room
Cubs: RHP Yency Almonte (right shoulder strain) experienced symptoms while throwing live batting practice on Tuesday, manager Craig Counsell said.
Up next
Cubs RHP Kyle Hendricks (1-4, 7.46 ERA) snapped a four-game skid in his last start, striking out eight in 5 2/3 innings of two-hit ball in a 6-5 win against the Giants on Wednesday. The Giants have not yet announced a starter for Tuesday’s game.
