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Giants' Cain overpowers Cubs

Jul 2, 2008 - 7:04 AM SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) -- Matt Cain pitched eight scoreless innings on Tuesday night to lead the San Francisco Giants to a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

Cain (5-6) allowed just two hits and three walks while striking out 10 to avoid his second loss in as many starts although he continues to get little run support. The team has scored one run or fewer in 20 of his 50 starts since 2007.

The 23-year-old righthander's performance on Tuesday helped the Giants set a franchise record with three pitchers logging at least 100 strikeouts before the All-Star Break. Cain joined teammates Tim Lincecum and Jonathan Sanchez.

"I definitely had my couple of beatings early (this season) so I'm still trying to work back from that," Cain said. "But that's not the deal. I feel as if when I go out there on the fifth day I'm supposed to give our guys a chance to win and that's what we're supposed to keep doing."

After allowing a one-out single to Derrek Lee in the first inning, Cain didn't surrender another hit until Daryle Ward led off the seventh with a double to center field as the the Giants' righthander retired 16 of 18 batters over that span.

"I'll definitely go back and look at stuff that I've done in today's outing and see why I was successful and definitely try to carry that into the rest of the season," Cain said.

However, the Giants nearly wasted Cain's outstanding start as closer Brian Wilson struggled to close the door in the ninth.

Lee led off the frame with a triple to right-center field and cut the deficit in half two batters later on a one-out single by rookie Geovany Soto.

Wilson got Jim Edmonds to fly out to center for the second out but the Cubs put the tying run in scoring position on Mike Fontenot's base hit. However, the 26-year-old righthander struck out Ryan Theriot to end the threat and earn his 23rd save of the season.

"It's good we won," Wilson said. "I don't care how many runs I give up as long as we win."

"I struck out, I mean (Wilson's) got great stuff, throw's the ball extremely hard," Theriot said. "I've known him for a long time, and he's a guy that could cut the ball as well as run it in. He has a good breaking ball, so I was just looking for a heater and he threw me a ton of them. I couldn't catch up to it."

San Francisco opened the scoring in thrilling fashion in the first inning.

Fred Lewis singled to right to lead off the frame and advanced to second on a walk by Ray Durham. Randy Winn advanced the runners to second and third with a fielder's choice and Lewis scored the first run of the game by stealing home on a double steal attempt when Bengie Molina swung and missed while Winn stole second.

"Actually it was a hit and run," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "(Marquis) just threw the ball up where Bengie couldn't quite handle it. Freddie did a great job in that situation, he got a good jump."

Lewis doubled the Giants' lead in the sixth, scoring on Winn's RBI single to left field off Cubs starter Jason Marquis (6-5) with one out in the inning.

Marquis surrendered two runs and four hits in seven innings, walking three while striking out five en route to his second straight loss after winning his previous five outings.

"I thought (Marquis) pitched well, he really did," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "Two runs on four hits in seven innings of work, you'd take that every time."

"Matt threw the ball real well and obviously his talent speaks for itself," Marquis said. "They got the run early in the game and I tried to limit them as best as I could. You're going to have days when your offense can be shut down. It's going to happen and as a pitcher you just try pick them up."