The Cubs sported the groggy look at foggy Wrigley Field Friday.
The Giants, who hiked their major league-best record to 78-38with a 4-1 victory, put Cubs bats into a deep slumber. San Franciscopitchers held the Cubs to four hits and dropped them a game below.500.
The Cubs had an excuse. They arrived in Chicago from Miamiearly Friday after completing a 3-4 road trip. Many players didn'tget to bed until 2 or 3 a.m.
"How do you think we feel?" said catcher Rick Wilkins, one ofeight Cubs hung with an oh-for-Friday against Trevor Wilson (6-4),Jeff Brantley and Rod Beck (36th save). "We don't feel very good.It's tough to not get any sleep and do anything that requiresphysical and mental intensity like this game does."
Especially against the Giants, who came in fresh after a dayoff. If there's a pregame meal that should include an extra cup ofcoffee, it's the day the Giants come to town.
"They're a very imposing group right now," Cubs manager JimLefebvre said. "They're at the top of their game. There's an awfullot of talk about Matt Williams, Barry Bonds and Will Clark, but thisteam plays excellent defense with great speed in the outfield. Andnow they have the pitching."
Wilson, making his first appearance since July 2 because of ashoulder injury, allowed two hits in six innings, a double and singleby Steve Buechele.
The Cubs finally put a charge into the 39,533 fans, who watchedmost of the game in the midst of an unusual summer fog, by gettingMark Grace (single) and Sammy Sosa (single) on base against Beck inthe ninth inning. That brought Derrick May to bat as the tying runwith two outs. But May rolled out to second baseman Robby Thompsonto end the game.
The Cubs' run came in the fourth, when Buechele's double toleft center scored Ryne Sandberg (leadoff walk) from first. Even onthat lone highlight, Sosa forgot to move from the on-deck circle tohelp Sandberg, who made an unnecessary slide at home plate.
The Giants, who beat Cubs starter Greg Hibbard (9-9) for thesecond time in three decisions, scored one run in each of the second,fifth, sixth and eighth innings. Williams (2-for-4, RBI, one run)doubled and scored on Willie McGee's groundout in the second. KirtManwaring belted his fifth home run in the fifth and Hibbard walkedMcGee on four pitches with the bases loaded in the sixth.
Hibbard had walked Bonds intentionally to load the bases forMcGee, prompting a smattering of boos from fans who came to see theGiants superstar hit. It was Bonds' 34th intentional pass and 90thwalk overall. After Hibbard walked McGee to give the Giants a 3-1 lead, reliever Shawn Boskie, on his first pitch, retired RoyceClayton on an inning-ending double play.
Thompson singled and scored on Williams' single to centeragainst Boskie in the eighth.
"I thought we pitched good enough to win," Lefebvre said. "Wejust didn't get anything going with the bats. I think the jet laghad something to do with it."
Even Lefebvre said he was tired.
"From my standpoint, I'm beat," he said.
But Buechele, who had the Cubs' only two hits through eightinnings, said the fatigue factor was "no big deal."
"Sometimes that's the day when you come out and really playwell," Buechele said. "We just didn't swing the bats real well. Wehaven't exactly been swinging the bats well at all lately."
NOTES: The Giants' Will Clark left the game in the eighthinning after fouling a Shawn Boskie pitch off his right kneecap. Clark, in considerablepain, needed assistance leaving the field. His status is day-to-day. In the next three weeks, the Cubs play four teams who entered Fridaywith a combined 279-182 record - the Giants (three games), the Expos(seven), the Braves (six) and Phillies (three). Giants manager Dusty Baker doesn't buy into baseball's new-ageapproach to preparation.
"We don't use radar guns or eye in the sky (camera)," Bakersaid. "Modern-day baseball sometimes takes the game away from theplayers. We try and take the game back to the players." Today's Giants starter, former Cub and Glenbrook North graduateScott Sanderson, hasn't pitched against the Cubs since Sept. 13,1983. Acquired on waivers from the Angels Aug. 3, Sanderson is 0-1in one start with the Giants.
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