CHICAGO (AP) – Travis Wood took over when starter Kyle Hendricks got hurt and became the first relief pitcher since 1924 to hit a postseason home run, helping the Chicago Cubs beat the San Francisco Giants 5-2 Saturday night for 2-0 NL Division Series lead.
Ben Zobrist put Chicago ahead in the first with a run-scoring single off former Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija, and Hendricks hit a two-run single in a three-run second.
Hendricks left with a 4-2 lead in the fourth when he was hit on the right forearm by Angel Pagan’s line drive.
Wood struck out Conor Gillaspie to strand Pagan, then sent a one-out drive into the left-field bleachers in the bottom half. The only other reliever to homer was the New York Giants’ Rosy Ryan in Game 3 of the 1924 World Series.
Madison Bumgarner, coming off a four-hit shutout of the New York Mets in the NL wild card game, tries to save the Giants’ season when the series resumes Monday in San Francisco. The Cubs, who start reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta, are one win from advancing to an NL Championship Series matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers or Washington Nationals.