Through 6 1/3 innings, the San Francisco Giants held the Chicago Cubs without a hit. The Cubs ended up managing two hits, but were held scoreless for the second straight game as they fell to the Giants 5-0.
San Francisco starting pitcher Tim Lincecum threw five innings of no-hit ball. He recorded five strikeouts and walked four on 96 pitches. He handed the ball over to reliever George Kontos, who pitched 1 1/3 hitless innings and earned the win.
Giants relief pitcher Jeremy Affeldt came on in the seventh and gave up the first Cub hit of the game to Chicago catcher John Baker. San Francisco then turned to Jean Machi to get out of the inning, as two runners were on base with only one out.
Juan Gutierrez pitched the eighth inning and into the ninth. He also gave up the other Chicago hit (to first baseman Anthony Rizzo). Javier Lopez closed out the game for the Giants, recording the final two outs of the game on four pitches.
“The bullpen did a really good job,” Giants catcher Hector Sanchez said after the game on csnbayarea.com.
Offensively for the Giants, their five runs came in the span of two innings. In the sixth inning, third baseman Pablo Sandoval drove in the first run of the game with a single to center. Two batters later, left fielder Tyler Colvin drove in another run.
In the seventh inning, an error by Chicago third baseman Mike Olt allowed one run to score. Later in the inning, Sanchez smacked a 2-RBI double.
The Giants own the best record in the Major Leagues at 34-19. The Cubs fall to 19-32.
The last time the Chicago Cubs were no-hit was 1965 when Los Angeles Dodgers ace Sandy Koufax hurled a perfect game against them, according to ESPN.