SAN FRANCISCO — The Chicago Cubs, stuck in fourth place in the National League Central, were in desperate need of a series win over the Giants. You earned this Saturday, but almost got more.
Right-hander Kyle Hendricks put up a no-hitter in the eighth inning and was four outs from throwing the Majors’ first pitch of the year before Giants left fielder Mitch Haniger hit a full-count pitch into the gap in the left midfield hit Clean two-out double.
Hendricks quickly grabbed a third out and watched Julian Merryweather complete a combined one-hitter and a 4-0 win, giving the Cubs a chance to win the series on Sunday and with a respectable 5-5 Game against San Diego to return to Chicago. Anaheim and San Francisco.
Hendricks’ only blemish before the Haniger goal was a one-out walk on Michael Conforto in the second inning.
The 33-year-old, longtime Cub was attempting to throw the 18th no-hitter in franchise history in just his fourth start of the season after missing nearly 11 months with a ruptured right shoulder capsule.
Counting pitches became a problem for Hendricks, despite the Giants’ batsmen being aggressive and making many early countouts. Hendricks threw 81 pitches in seven innings. He hadn’t pitched more than six innings or 86 pitches in any of his first three starts after rehab.
But the first two Giants hitters in the eighth inning helped Hendricks by knocking out four pitches total.
The outcome of the game did not seem in doubt.
Matt Mervis hit a home run against Jakob Junis and started the third inning. Christopher Morel broke a 0-for-22 with a home run on Junis early in the fourth set and added a two-out, two-run single in the fifth set to chase Junis down.
Mike Tauchman had a crucial hit in the inning, a double that put two runners in goal position with an out, but he helped Hendricks much more in midfield.
With an out in the third set, Tauchman went left center when Brandon Crawford made a drive to the warning line right of center. Tauchman stole what appeared to be extra bases from Crawford with a sweeping catch and held the ball as it slammed onto the dirt.
Tauchman played for the Giants in 2021 and is known in San Francisco for a lone catch when he vaulted the left field wall at Dodger Stadium in the ninth inning of a tie game with two outs, robbing Albert Pujols of what appeared to be the world coming together Walk-off home run.
