Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (6/3/21): Giants 7, Cubs 2 – Crawford, Giants Top Cubs in Series Opener
The Chicago Cubs looked to keep the good times rolling at Oracle Park in San Francisco Thursday night, but the Giants had other ideas. The home team jumped on Zach Davies in the middle innings and beat Chicago easily.
A Brandon Crawford single gave the Giants a 1-0 lead in the 2nd inning. Joc Pederson had the Cubs’ only big moment launching a long two-run homer into the water off of Anthony DeSclafani in the 3rd.
Davies gave the lead right back the next frame when the aforementioned DeSclafani doubled home the tying run and broke an 0-40 streak as a batter. The Cubs starter got the hook with two on in the 5th inning.
Rex Brothers came on and promptly surrendered a three-run homer to Crawford that put San Fran ahead for good. Dillon Maples would allow a couple more runs to score and the Giants won 7-2. (Box score)
Why the Cubs Lost
The offense couldn’t do much and neither Davies nor the bullpen could bail them out.
Key Moment
Brothers fell behind 3-0 in the count to Crawford and had to challenge him. Any lefty on lefty advantage was lost and the Giants shortstop did not miss it.
Stats That Matter
- Davies had issues with control and fell behind hitters all game, a troublesome sign that his struggles may not be behind him: 4.1 IP, 4 R, 8 H, 4 K, and 2 BB.
- Sergio Alcantara had another hit and hopefully will earn more playing time.
Bottom Line
This was just one of those games for the Cubs. The game started with a first-pitch home run robbery off the bat of Pederson and that felt like an omen. West Coast trips aren’t easy, but the Cubs need to find a way to bounce back quickly.
In better news, the Cardinals lost to the Reds so the Cubs remain in first place in the NL Central by 1.5 games.
On Deck
Game two of the series is Friday at 8:45pm CT. Jake Arrieta faces a yet-to-be-named Giants pitcher in a game available on Marquee and 670 The Score. Cord-cutters can check out a free preview of fuboTV if you want to see whether the streaming service with Marquee is worthwhile.
