Cubs blank slumping Giants

[August 30, 2011]  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Randy Wells didn't get very far after throwing his first career complete game. The Chicago Cubs right-hander was nailed in the face by a shaving cream pie.

It wasn't the way Wells planned to celebrate his birthday, but after holding the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants to just two hits, no one complained.

Wells matched his season high of seven strikeouts and allowed only two runners to reach second base, and the Cubs backed him with four home runs -- including three off San Francisco ace Tim Lincecum -- in a 7-0 rout of the Giants on Monday night.

"The last time I got shaving cream in the face was (my) first win, so it was pretty fun," said Wells, who has won four straight decisions. "It was pretty cool. I came close last year in St. Louis but I got lifted in the ninth. It was very special for me to beat a Cy Young Award guy."

Wells (6-4) faced only four batters over the minimum and walked one while winning his third consecutive start on the road. Wells, who hasn't lost since July 28, improved to 2-1 in four career starts against the Giants.

San Francisco managed only a two-out double by Andres Torres in the third and Mike Fontenot's pinch-hit single with one out in the eighth.

That continues to be a big problem for the Giants, who went into August with a two-game lead in the division. Now San Francisco needs a strong finish to avoid missing out on the postseason altogether.

The Giants are five games behind the first-place Diamondbacks with 27 games to play. At the same point a year ago, they were three games out of the division lead before going 18-8 in September.

"(Wells) pitched great ... but everybody that is going out there is throwing great right now," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "That's what makes it tough. They outplayed us, outpitched us, outdid everything against us."

Alfonso Soriano, Geovany Soto, Blake DeWitt and Carlos Pena all went deep for the Cubs, who won for only the second time in their last nine games.

It was the third time this season Chicago has had four or more home runs in one game. The Cubs have 38 home runs in August, most in the National League.

Lincecum (12-11) lasted six innings and took the loss, giving him a career-high 11 on the season.

"You try and make (Lincecum) work and throw a lot of pitches," said DeWitt, who tripled and scored in the ninth. "Runs are hard to come by against a guy like that. We were able to score couple tonight."

Lincecum had allowed only five runs over his previous five starts. He pitched out of jams in the first and sixth but gave up solo home runs to Soriano and Soto before DeWitt's three-run blast in the seventh.

The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner finished with four walks and four strikeouts. He needs seven more to reach 200 for the fourth consecutive season.

Soriano's home run was his 23rd of the season, one shy of tying Pena and Aramis Ramirez for the team lead.

The other three home runs all came in the seventh, including Pena's solo shot off reliever Steve Edlefsen. It's the first time the Cubs have hit three homers in one inning since June 9, 2010.

"We swung the bats great and Wellsie was something else," Chicago manager Mike Quade said. "To do that kind of damage against Lincecum was a huge plus. The offense was fantastic."

NOTES: Soto's homer leading off the seventh snapped an 0-for-25 streak by the Cubs' catcher. ... RHP Matt Garza (6-10) starts for the Cubs on Tuesday and will make his first career appearance against the Giants. Garza has only two wins and a 5.07 ERA on the road this season.

[Associated Press]

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