CHICAGO _ To step into Wrigley Field on Wednesday night, you would not know that June was a week away. A chilled wind blew in from left field with enough force to freeze cheeks and starch the flags.
A few more swirling hot dog wrappers and it could've been Candlestick Park, green with ivy.
It was a night that favored pitchers, in theory, and that played to the Giants' benefit. When you have scored the fewest runs among National League clubs, you accept any equalizer.
It did not benefit them enough. Anthony Rizzo hit two home runs off Matt Moore that tacked through the crossing breeze and into the right-field seats, and despite a ninth-inning bugle blast from Mac Williamson, the Giants were too quiet for too long during a 5-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs.
The Giants hit two home runs of their own, and believe it or not, they weren't both solo shots. Denard Span's homer in the third was the Giants' 19th consecutive with the bases empty, putting them two away from matching the major league record that they set in 2011.
But Williamson broke the streak with a two-run shot in the ninth against Cubs closer Wade Davis. Not only did it come against a lethal pitcher who had allowed one run all season, but it was on the 12th pitch of an at-bat that included eight fouls.
Williamson's opposite-way shot to right field was the Giants' first homer with a runner on base since May 8, when Hunter Pence hit a two-run shot at Citi Field.
It was not enough, though. Michael Morse drew a pinch walk and pinch runner Gorkys Hernandez stole his way into scoring position with two outs before Joe Panik flung his bat after taking a questionable pitch that was good enough for umpire Jeff Nelson.
And now the Giants must scrape together enough offense Thursday to support their hottest pitcher, Jeff Samardzija, in order to split the series and clinch a winning record on their seven-game trip to St. Louis and the North Side.
They would love to see another spark from rookie Christian Arroyo, who went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts and an RBI ground out as his average fell to .196. Williamson was hitting .146 before taking Davis deep; even before that solid sign, he made a scorched out earlier in the game when he hit a drive into the unforgiving wind from left field.
Williamson's shot off Davis had a similar launch angle and exit velocity. This time the direction was favorable, too. He hit it to right field and it snuck into the basket that fronts the bleachers. Williamson was so excited, and Eduardo Nunez was so tired after running on foul balls, that they nearly passed each other on the basepaths.
The Giants were facing a good pitcher in Kyle Hendricks, and struck a few hard keys, but too many innings were soft and quick melodies. And Moore didn't stay out of the middle of the plate enough to hold a pair of early, one-run leads.
The Giants scored in the second inning when Brandon Crawford doubled, Eduardo Nunez bunted for a single _ tweaking his leg but remaining in the game _ and Arroyo hit an RBI ground out.
Rizzo tied it with one swing. And after Span went deep in the third inning, Rizzo tied it again. Moore had thrown him three pitches, and two ended up in the right-field bleachers.
The Giants managed just a bunt single from Brandon Belt over the next four innings while the Cubs pulled ahead. They scored the tiebreaking run in the fifth inning after Addison Russell reached on a single off Moore's leg, went to third on Miguel Montero's single and scored on Javier Baez's sacrifice fly.
The Cubs barely missed chances to rip the game open. Jason Heyward was deprived of a three-run home run in the sixth when the wind barely blew it foul, and then the plate umpire denied him an RBI.
Heyward went on to hit a nubber that Moore fielded but couldn't find a throwing lane. The ball hit Heyward as Kris Bryant scored. But Nelson called interference on Heyward for running inside the baseline, and the run came off the board.
The Cubs did tack on a run in the seventh after Giants manager Bruce Bochy tried to squeeze a little more work out of Moore against the bottom of the Cubs lineup. Montero, the No.8 hitter, lined a leadoff double and pinch hitter Willson Contreras drew a walk before Baez's sacrifice attempt against right-hander George Kontos landed in front of pitcher. Kontos tried for the out at third base but his throw was wide for an error that allowed Montero to score. It took strikeouts of Bryant and Ian Happ, the latter with the bases loaded, for Kontos to minimize the damage.
But the Cubs added an important run in the eighth when Heyward tripled off struggling left-hander Steven Okert and scored on Jon Jay's sacrifice fly.
