Jeff Samardzija is coming off a career-high strikeout performance, but also a loss. The right-hander makes his first home start of the season on Saturday for the Chicago Cubs in the third installment of a four-game series.
Samardzija struck out 13 batters at Atlanta April 7, but suffered a 5-1 loss. He gave up four runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings. For his career, Samardzija owns a 2.53 ERA with no decisions in six appearances (one start) against the Giants.
Madison Bumgarner tries for his third win in as many starts of the season this afternoon for the Giants. The lefty tossed 5 2/3 innings in a victory at Colorado Monday. He owns a 3-2 record with a 2.79 ERA in six career outings against the Cubs.
Yesterday, Starlin Castro's RBI double in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted the Cubs to a 4-3 win.
Pinch-hitter Dioner Navarro greeted Sergio Romo (0-1) with a game-tying solo homer to right to start the bottom of the ninth, and three batters later, David DeJesus singled to keep the game alive. Castro then drilled a ball to center, just beyond the reach of Angel Pagan and off the ivy, to produce the winning run.
"That's the guy we want up in that situation," DeJesus said of Castro.
It rescued Kyuji Fujikawa (1-0), who entered the game with a 2-0 lead but gave up three runs in the top of the ninth.
DeJesus and Castro added solo homers for the Cubs, who lost Thursday's series opener by a 7-6 count.
Brandon Belt slugged a two-run double and Pablo Sandoval added a run-scoring hit for the Giants, who scored three times in the ninth inning before Romo faltered.
"I like how our guys fought back there in the ninth," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.
San Francisco has won eight of the last 10 head-to-head meetings.
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