La Stella, Belt lead Giants past Cubs 15-4 for 6th straight

CHICAGO (AP) — Tommy La Stella and Brandon Belt each hit three-run homers, and the San Francisco Giants pounded the Chicago Cubs 15-4 on Saturday for their sixth straight win.

La Stella finished with three hits, including a double, five RBIs and scored three runs for surging San Francisco, which improved to a major-league best 92-50. The Giants entered 2½ games ahead of the Dodgers in the NL West.

La Stella’s home run — on the first pitch he saw from Tommy Nance in the fifth — thudded off Wrigley’s right-field videoboard and capped a six-run rally that allowed San Francisco to pull away for its eighth win in nine.

Manager Gabe Kapler thought La Stella was a perfect pick as a leadoff man on Saturday, and it paid off. La Stella has missed three months this season with injuries, but is getting his timing back and grinding out at bats.

In this one, La Stella, a came up with runners on base and delivered.

“He's a perfect guy at the top of the lineup because he grinds pitchers," Kapler said. "He can help set the table, but also drives the ball from time to time.

“He has some surprising pop. He's really good when he's upright like he was today.”

La Stella said he took no added pleasure in clobbering the Cubs, one of his former teams, but is happy to be getting back into form at the place.

“I just want to make sure I'm getting something in the zone,” La Stella said. “I think I was little more focused on that today.”

Belt went deep and doubled for the second straight day. The Giants 33-year-old first baseman has 23 homers, with 12 in his last 28 games, and 10 hits in his last 21 at-bats.

Evan Longoria had three RBIs on two hits and a sac fly, while Mike Yastrzemski drove in two runs. Kris Bryant had two singles, walked and...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/La-Stella-Belt-lead-Giants-past-Cubs-15-4-for-16451847.php