SAN FRANCISCO — The Cubs had what appeared to be a good game plan against the Giants. With the top of their lineup being mostly left-handed, Craig Counsell decided to use Ryan Rolison as an opener, then follow with scheduled starter Colin Rea.
The Giants countered by leading off Matt Chapman. But Rolison disposed of Chapman and the next three left-handed hitters the Giants put at the plate.
Fun fact about Rolison’s opener outing from BCB’s JohnW53:
Ryan Rolison’s start was the 151st by a Cub since 1901
that lasted 1.1 innings.
It was the first in which the pitcher gave up no runs.
Four gave up one: Alex Hardy, in 1903; Bud Tinning, 1933; Johnny Schmitz, 1942; and Bob Chipman, Aug. 17, 1944. Rolison’s was the 92nd since then.
Colin Rea then matched Giants starter Logan Webb through the fourth inning. Once again, here was a game where the Cubs bats mostly disappeared. They had two runners on with one out in the first, but Ian Happ hit into an inning-ending double play. The only other Cubs baserunner through the fourth was Pete Crow-Armstrong, who singled with two out in the fourth, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. But Alex Bregman hit this sinking liner to left that Casey Schmitt caught to end the inning [VIDEO].
Rea got in trouble in the fifth with the game still scoreless and really, he did what he was supposed to do. Jung Hoo Lee dumped a little popup behind third base that no one could catch. After a sacrifice bunt, Drew Gilbert hit another uncatchable popup that scored the first run of the game [VIDEO].
That’s two hits on very weak contact. Look at the exit velo on Lee’s hit:
The exit velo on Gilbert’s double was a little better, 83.7 miles per hour, but still most balls hit like that are caught. It just landed in no-man’s land.
Then Chapman smashed a ball over the center-field wall for a two-run homer and, well, the game was pretty much over at that point, because the Cubs couldn’t do much with Webb.
Rea did load the bases after Chapman’s homer on two walks and a hit batsman, but got out of it with a fielder’s choice. At 3-0 maybe there was a chance? Rea stayed in the game through the first batter of the seventh, Chapman again. He walked Chapman. Hoby Milner entered, the Giants produced another successful sac bunt, and then Bryce Eldridge singled in the Giants’ fourth run. It might have been worse, but pinch-runner Jonah Cox forgot how many outs there were when Rafael Devers popped up foul to Bregman, who easily doubled Cox off first to end the inning.
The Cubs finally got on the board against Webb in the eighth. With one out, Dansby Swanson hit a ball up the middle that looked like a routine ground out, until it hit second base and went for a single. One out later, this happened [VIDEO].
Hey, if the Giants can bloop hits into runs, why not the Cubs? Bregman’s hit landed behind first base for a single, with Swanson trying for third base. Devers’ throw got away and Swanson scored to make it 4-1. Bregman took second on the throw, and with Michael Busch up and Webb tiring (105 pitches), it’s a bit surprising Tony Vitello didn’t bring in a lefty to pitch to Busch.
He didn’t. And Busch hit the ball hard off Webb, only to have Lee make this spectacular catch [VIDEO].
If Lee misses that ball, Bregman scores easily and Busch might have wound up on third. That could have started a Cubs comeback. But it did not.
Webb is the first starter to go eight innings against the Cubs this year. The last was Hunter Greene, who threw a complete-game shutout against the Cubs Sept. 18, 2025 in Cincinnati. His opponent that night? Colin Rea. Figures, right?
The Giants scored a fifth run, off Ethan Roberts in the eighth, and yet another bloop figured into the scoring. This one was a routine infield popup by Schmitt that dropped untouched among three Cubs infielders. It probably should have been Carson Kelly’s play, but he didn’t see it. Eventually, Schmitt scored to make it 5-1.
Caleb Kilian, who the Cubs let go at the end of 2025, finished things up uneventfully. You know, Kilian was a failure as a starter with the Cubs but he could always throw hard — including in Spring Training 2025, when he was touching 98 before he was injured and missed most of the year. He might very well have made the Cubs Opening Day bullpen in ‘25 if not for the injury. They should have given him another shot this year.
What are you gonna do? Sometimes baseballs fall in for the other guy and not for you, and sometimes you run into a really good pitcher like Logan Webb. Tip o’ the cap to Webb.
The Cubs split the six games on the road trip, which wouldn’t have been a terrible result except for all the losing that preceded it. They’re still in reasonable position with 90 gams remaining. Now start winning the games at Wrigley Field, where a six-game homestand begins Monday with a three-game series against the Rockies. So far, in nine games vs. the Rockies and Giants, teams the Cubs really should have dominated, they’re 4-5. Do better, Cubs.
Shōta Imanaga will start the series opener against the Rox Monday evening. He’ll be opposed by Michael Lorenzen, in a rematch of last Wednesday’s game at Coors Field. Game time Monday is 7:05 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
