SAN FRANCISCO — Raise your hand if you knew that by mid-June, Javier Assad and Ben Brown would be the saviors of the Cubs starting rotation.
I better not see any hands because you did not know. I did not know. No one knew.
Assad had his second straight outstanding outing — both against the Giants. Friday evening at Oracle Park, Assad threw six strong innings, allowing three hits and one run, and Michael Busch’s three-run “splash hit” home run was the big blow offensively in a 5-1 Cubs victory. Hey
look, a baby winning streak — two games! It’s the first time the Cubs have won consecutive games since May 27 and 28 in Pittsburgh. And it was the Cubs’ first win in San Francisco since 2024, as they got swept at Oracle Park in a three-game series last August.
The game began as a pitcher’s duel. Assad retired nine straight Giants after a leadoff single in the first. The Cubs had just one baserunner over those first two innings on a Seiya Suzuki double. He reached third but was stranded. While all that was going on, Giants catcher Daniel Susac was challenging pitches — quite a few of them. He challenged five times, got four of them correct, and three times a ball was overturned resulting in strike three on a Cubs hitter.
The Cubs finally broke through in the fourth. Busch led off with a walk. He was forced at second b Ian Happ.
Suzuki’s double to deep left-center scored Happ to make it 1-0 Cubs [VIDEO].
Suzuki took third on the throw to the plate. That was important because it resulted in the second Cubs run of the inning on this sac fly by Nico Hoerner [VIDEO].
The Cubs had another multi-run inning in the fifth. Carson Kelly led off with a walk. One out later Alex Bregman doubled, with Kelly stopping at third.
Then Busch launched his splash hit home run [VIDEO].
Here are the numbers on that blast [VIDEO].
Assad continued dealing, including making this play (overturned from “safe” to “out” on review) on a ball that went off his leg in the sixth. He struck out five [VIDEO].
Here’s more on Assad’s outing [VIDEO].
And some historical perspective on Assad’s night from BCB’s JohnW53:
Javier Assad pitched six shutout innings, after having pitched 6.1 without giving up a run in his relief appearance Sunday.
There have been 115 instances since 1901 of a Cub pitching at least two straight games with six innings and no runs.
Assad is just the ninth to do in with a start and in relief — and the first since Monk Dubiel on June 27 and July 2, 1950. Dubiel pitched the final 7.1 innings of a 3-2 loss at home vs. the Cardinals, then threw a complete game in a 16-0 romp at Cincinnati.
The previous eight, in chronological order: Carl Lundgren (1907), Guy Bush (1927), Charlie Root (1929), Lon Warneke (1934), Larry French (1936), Emil Kush and Paul Erickson (both 1946). They pitched between 14.1 (Erickson) and 17.1 innings (Root). Larry French pitched 12.1 innings, the same as Assad, in two relief outings in 1941.
Hoby Milner threw a 1-2-3 seventh, helped out by a really nice tag by Michael Busch on Willy Adames. Adames was called safe, but that was overturned on review [VIDEO].
Trent Thornton, just back from paternity leave (Congratulations!), threw a 1-2-3 eighth. Then Bryce Eldridge, one of MLB’s top prospects who the Giants called up about a month ago, and who hit a walkoff slam for them Wednesday, homered with one out in the ninth to spoil the Cubs’ shutout bid.
Thornton retired the next two Giants by strikeout. Here’s the final out, a K of Rafael Devers [VIDEO].
That was another satisfying win. Great pitching and five of the Cubs’ six hits were for extra bases. Here’s Busch on his home run [VIDEO].
The last two games, I hope, give the Cubs something to build on as they try to dig out of the 8-22 hole they were in. The way they played in all facets of the game is encouraging. And I mentioned Ben Brown above as someone who’s helped stabilize the rotation — and he’ll start Saturday night’s game in San Francisco. Trevor McDonald goes for the Giants. Game time is 9:05 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
