Giants denied four-game sweep of Cubs before Dodgers' final visit

SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants sauntered onto their home field Thursday seeking their first four-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs here since 2012.

Instead, a 5-3, 10-inning loss spoiled their sunny, blue-sky afternoon and ushered the Giants into a scheduling gauntlet before the All-Star Break.

The first-place Dodgers arrive Friday night for, already, their final series at Oracle Park this season. Then come three-game sets at Atlanta and Cleveland before the Giants host Toronto and Minnesota. All those teams, except Toronto, are in playoff position and playing above .500.

“We’re just worried about L.A., not who’s after that,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “They’re a lot to handle. The Giants-Dodgers rivalry can inspire you, as well. It’s always pretty festive here when we play the Dodgers.

“It’s a tough assignment but our guys are feeling good. We won three in a row before this last game here.”

The Giants rallied from a 3-0 deficit with a three-run sixth, and as brilliant as their bullpen was this series, all it took was a Luke Jackson slider to end that mojo. Ian Happ belted it for a two-run homer off the top of the center-field wall in the 10th, breaking through against a bullpen that had not allowed a run its previous 21 1/3 innings this series.

The Giants’ 10th-inning counterattack came alive when pinch hitter Brett Wisely reached on a single into shallow left field. There would be no further rally. Austin Slater struck out (on nine pitches), Heliot Ramos flew out to cap his 0-for-4 day, and Wilmer Flores’ infield flyout finished his 0-for-5 day — and finished the series.

Limited to one hit through five innings, the Giants got to Cubs’ pitcher Shota Imanaga with a game-tying, three-run rally in the sixth. Jorge Soler’s two-out, ground-rule double off the right-field track pulled the Giants within 3-1, then Matt Chapman scored on a wild pitch, and, Soler came home on Luis Matos’ infield dribbler past Imanaga.

Then it was up to the Giants’ bullpen to repeatedly keep the Cubs from answering. Not all of the bullpen was available, however.

Melvin declined to send out closer Camilo Doval nor Tyler Rodgers because both pitched the previous two days; Doval would have pitched if a save opportunity presented itself, Melvin added.

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