Michael Conforto and David Villar hit consecutive home runs in the second inning, while Luis Matos broke a tie with a solo shot in the fifth, helping the San Francisco Giants secure a 4-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night.
Chicago’s Seiya Suzuki also hit a home run, but it wasn’t enough as the Cubs lost their fourth consecutive game and dropped to 3-13 in their last 16 games on the road.
Making his major league debut, Giants starter Hayden Birdsong allowed three runs on six hits over 4 2/3 innings. He struck out five batters and walked three.
“It’s incredibly exciting,” said the 22-year-old Birdsong. “My mind was racing with a mix of excitement and nerves, but I just tried to stay focused and throw strikes.”
Luke Jackson earned his fourth consecutive win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief, and Camilo Doval closed out the game with his 14th save in 16 opportunities.
Chicago’s Hayden Wesneski, in his first start since May 8, gave up three runs on two hits and a walk while striking out seven over four innings.
Pete Crow-Armstrong drove in an early run for the Cubs with an RBI single in the second inning. Conforto responded for the Giants with a two-run homer, followed by Villar’s first home run since June 19, 2023.
Giants manager Bob Melvin praised his team’s power throughout the lineup, especially from their lower-order hitters.
“All those guys have the ability to hit for power,” Melvin said. “We’ve talked about having a deep lineup where we can score in any inning, and tonight, our bottom of the order showed that.”
Miguel Amaya brought the Cubs closer with an RBI single in the fourth inning, driving in Crow-Armstrong from first base to make it a 3-2 game in favor of the Giants.
