SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Carlos Rodón struck out 10 over seven dominant innings amid speculation he could be traded, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Chicago Cubs 4-0 Sunday night.
Rodón (9-6) got help from his defense early. Left fielder Luis Gonzalez reached over the outfield wall to snare Christopher Morel’s leadoff drive.
“I was impressed that he got to that slider down-and-away,” Rodon said of Morel.
Also, center fielder Austin Slater made a running grab of Nelson Velazquez’s hard-hit ball an inning later.
Then Rodon took over. He fanned two in the second inning, then struck out the side in the third and fourth. He yielded two hits, none after the third inning. It was the 18th double-digit strikeout performance of his career and his sixth this season.
The Giants won three of four from the Cubs after bring swept by the Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks following the All-Star break. The subject of widespread rumors that he could be headed elsewhere by Tuesday’s trade deadline, Rodon admitted that the Giants are hoping to stay together to make another postseason run.
“When you start off after the break 0-7, it’s definitely never a good thing,” said Rodon, who as a top starting pitcher ranks as a particularly hot commodity. “I thought we responded pretty nicely this series. Even though we have a lot more work to do, I thought we played better baseball.”
San Francisco scored all its runs in the fourth inning by rallying with two outs against starter Adrian Sampson (0-2). Eighth-place hitter Jason Vosler roped an RBI single, followed by No. 9 hitter Austin Wynns’ bases-loaded triple.
Sampson’s four-inning outing left four innings for the bullpen to handle, which it did capably. The relievers, led by Erich Uelmen’s 1 2/3 innings, surrendered just four hits. Uelmen…