Aug. 07--The importance of the Chicago Cubs' four-game series against the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants wasn't lost on Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer.
"It's an important series," Hoyer said Thursday night before Jason Hammel took the mound against Giants rookie standout Chris Heston. "Two teams are fighting for the playoffs. They're the ultimate in battle-tested with three World Series (in five seasons). And I think it'a good test for our guys, and obviously it's of incredible importance as far as the standings.
"We're going to see them again in three weeks, so it's not the last time we'll see these guys. It's not the last important games we'll play. It's a meaningful August series, and it's great for our guys to test themselves against a team that has won those battles before. It's going to be a fun series and a fun environment.''
The Giants lead the Cubs by one-half game for the second National League wild card berth.
