SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 31 (UPI) — Madison Bumgarner struck out 11 over eight scoreless innings Wednesday, lifting the San Francisco Giants to a 4-0 blanking of the Chicago Cubs.

Bumgarner (9-12) improved to 6-1 in his last eight home starts, giving the Giants a crucial win as they struggle to make up ground against National League West-leading Arizona.

The left-hander was dominating, surrendering only two hits and walking two while tossing 88 of his 119 pitches for strikes.

Sergio Romo finished up the shutout with a scoreless ninth for the Giants, who entered the contest trailing the Diamondbacks by six games with an important weekend series against Arizona coming up.

Jeff Keppinger and Pablo Sandoval cracked back-to-back solo homers in the fourth and Keppinger (3-for-4) added an RBI single for San Francisco, which came into the game having lost seven of 11 contests.

Chicago’s Rodrigo Lopez (4-6) was touched for four runs on nine hits over 5 1/3 innings, absorbing the loss.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Randy Wells didn’t get very far after throwing his first career complete game. The Chicago Cubs right-hander was nailed in the face by a shaving cream pie.

It wasn’t the way Wells planned to celebrate his birthday, but after holding the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants to just two hits, no one complained.

Wells matched his season high of seven strikeouts and allowed only two runners to reach second base, and the Cubs backed him with four home runs — including three off San Francisco ace Tim Lincecum — in a 7-0 rout of the Giants on Monday night.

“The last time I got shaving cream in the face was (my) first win, so it was pretty fun,” said Wells, who has won four straight decisions. “It was pretty cool. I came close last year in St. Louis but I got lifted in the ninth. It was very special for me to beat a Cy Young Award guy.”

Wells (6-4) faced only four batters over the minimum and walked one while winning his third consecutive start on the road. Wells, who hasn’t lost since July 28, improved to 2-1 in four career starts against the Giants.

San Francisco managed only a two-out double by Andres Torres in the third and Mike Fontenot’s pinch-hit single with one out in the eighth.

That continues to be a big problem for the Giants, who went into August with a two-game lead in the division. Now San Francisco needs a strong finish to avoid missing out on the postseason altogether.

The Giants are five games behind the first-place Diamondbacks with 27 games to play. At the same point a year ago, they were three games out of the division lead before going 18-8 in September.

“(Wells) pitched great … but everybody that is going out there is throwing great right now,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “That’s what makes it tough. They outplayed us, outpitched us, outdid everything against us.”

Alfonso Soriano, Geovany Soto, Blake DeWitt and Carlos Pena all went deep for the Cubs, who won for only the second time in their last nine games.

It was the third time this season Chicago has had four or more home runs in one game. The Cubs have 38 home runs in August, most in the National League.

Lincecum (12-11) lasted six innings and took the loss, giving him a career-high 11 on the season.

“You try and make (Lincecum) work and throw a lot of pitches,” said DeWitt, who tripled and scored in the ninth. “Runs are hard to come by against a guy like that. We were able to score couple tonight.”

Lincecum had allowed only five runs over his previous five starts. He pitched out of jams in the first and sixth but gave up solo home runs to Soriano and Soto before DeWitt’s three-run blast in the seventh.

The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner finished with four walks and four strikeouts. He needs seven more to reach 200 for the fourth consecutive season.

Soriano’s home run was his 23rd of the season, one shy of tying Pena and Aramis Ramirez for the team lead.

The other three home runs all came in the seventh, including Pena’s solo shot off reliever Steve Edlefsen. It’s the first time the Cubs have hit three homers in one inning since June 9, 2010.

“We swung the bats great and Wellsie was something else,” Chicago manager Mike Quade said. “To do that kind of damage against Lincecum was a huge plus. The offense was fantastic.”

Notes: Soto’s homer leading off the seventh snapped an 0-for-25 streak by the Cubs’ catcher. … RHP Matt Garza (6-10) starts for the Cubs on Tuesday and will make his first career appearance against the Giants. Garza has only two wins and a 5.07 ERA on the road this season.

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 30 (UPI) — Randy Wells tossed a two-hit, complete-game shutout Monday and the Chicago Cubs dealt San Francisco a key loss with a 7-0 victory.

Wells (6-4) allowed only an Andres Torres double in the third inning and an Aubrey Huff single in the fourth, while issuing a single walk and striking out seven for the Cubs.

It was the right-hander’s first career shutout and complete game over 77 career starts.

Blake DeWitt clubbed a three-run homer while Carlos Pena, Alfonso Soriano and Geovany Soto each added solo shots as Chicago took the opener of a three-game series.

San Francisco’s Tim Lincecum (12-11) was tagged for five runs (four earned) on six hits over six innings for the Giants, whose playoff hopes took a hit as they fell five games behind first-place Arizona in the National League West.

Zack Greinke came to Milwaukee for the thrill of a playoff race.
Instead, the Brewers are way out in front with just over a month to
go.

Greinke pitched effectively into the eighth inning to remain
perfect at home, Corey Hart homered for the second time in as many
days and Milwaukee held on to sweep the Chicago Cubs with a 3-2 win
Sunday.

The NL Central-leading Brewers stayed a franchise-best 10 1/2
games ahead of St. Louis after the Cardinals beat Pittsburgh 7-4.
Milwaukee and St. Louis play a three-game series at Miller Park
beginning Tuesday.

“The double-digit lead is hard to believe, it seemed like just
the other day we were one back. That is weird to see,” Greinke
said. “We’re enjoying playing, but nothing’s locked up yet.”

Greinke (13-5) improved to 10-0 at home as the Brewers kept up
their remarkable run. They were in third place on July 25 before
winning 27 of 32 overall.

Milwaukee has won 21 times this month, tying the franchise mark
for most victories in a month set in June 1978.

“They know where we are,” Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said.
“But their focus is so much on that game, that day, I don’t think
we’re worried about where that end is going to come.”

It became a tense ninth when Tyler Colvin homered off Brewers
closer John Axford with one out.

Axford walked Marlon Byrd before getting Alfonso Soriano to hit
a warning track flyball for the second out. Third baseman Casey
McGehee then misplayed pinch-hitter Reed Johnson’s grounder to put
two on.

McGehee bobbled the next ball, too, by pinch-hitter Geovany
Soto, but recovered to tag out Byrd and give Axford his 40th save
this year.

“It seemed like it was spinning for a little while up there,”
Axford said. “I’m glad it went in his glove, that’s for sure.”

Greinke gave up four hits, not allowing any until Byrd’s
fifth-inning bloop. In the bottom of the inning, Greinke singled,
stole second for the first swipe of his career and scored on Hart’s
homer.

In the eighth, Greinke left with two out and a runner on second
for Francisco Rodriguez, who allowed an RBI double to Darwin Barney
that made it 3-1 before Aramis Ramirez grounded out to end the
inning.

Greinke, the 2009 AL Cy Young winner who was traded from Kansas
City in the offsesason, extended his franchise-best home start. He
has a 2.96 ERA over 12 starts at Miller Park, all wins for the
Brewers.

Milwaukee won for a major-league best 50th time at home this
season.

“That’s a lot of wins. Yeah, the guys continue to play well
here,” Roenicke said. “Started again with great pitching from
Zack.”

Just like the day before, the Brewers scored in the first
against the Cubs.

Hart extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a single,
reached second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Ryan Braun’s
double.

Greinke’s steal came when Cubs starter Casey Coleman (2-7) never
looked over at him. Hart reached safely for the 10th straight plate
appearance with his home run to left.

Greinke struck out seven and walked two.

“Fastball command was pretty good, but changeup was as good as
it’s been and the curve and slider were usable,” Greinke said.
“They hit a lot toward our guys, and that made it easier.”

It was another dismal series in Milwaukee for the Cubs, who won
their first game at Miller Park this season and lost the final
eight. Ramirez’s 16-game hitting streak and Starlin Castro’s
career-high 11-game streak ended, but Cubs manager Mike Quade
didn’t see much of it. He was ejected by plate umpire Bill Miller
after Ramirez struck out in the first.

“I wanted to make sure (Ramirez) didn’t get thrown out,” Quade
said. “I didn’t want to get thrown out myself. Rammy rarely says
anything so I just wanted to make sure that Bill wasn’t upset with
him, to make sure we had him for nine innings.”

NOTES: According to STATS LLC, Greinke joined Cliff Lee of the
Phillies and Ted Lilly of the Dodgers as the only pitchers with
stolen bases this season. … The Brewers have a day off Monday
before facing the Cardinals. Brewers RHP Shaun Marcum (11-4, 3.38
ERA) is expected to face RHP Edwin Jackson (3-2, 3.99) in the
opener. … The Cubs open a three-game series in San Francisco on
Monday. Cubs RHP Randy Wells (5-4, 5.53) will take the mound
against Tim Lincecum (12-10, 2.46).

MILWAUKEE, Aug. 26 (UPI) — Randy Wolf settled down after giving up a first-inning homer Friday and the Milwaukee Brewers rallied to defeat the Chicago Cubs 5-2.

Wolf (11-8) gave up one earned run on four hits over 6 2/3 innings. Starlin Castro hit the home run for the Cubs in the first, but Milwaukee came back to take the lead with two unearned runs in the fifth.

George Kottaras hit a solo homer for the Brewers in the fourth and Prince Fielder drove in a run with a single in the seventh.

Milwaukee has split its last four games, but the Brewers have won 25 times in their last 30 contests while building a 9 1/2-game lead over second-place St. Louis in the National League Central.

John Axford picked up his 38th save despite allowing runners on the corners in the ninth inning.

The loss went to Rodrigo Lopez (4-5), who gave up four runs on five hits in six innings.

CHICAGO  — The Chicago Cubs just couldn’t get the big hit.

Jair Jurrjens pitched in and out of trouble for 6 1-3 innings, Dan Uggla and Freddie Freeman homered and the Atlanta Braves beat the Cubs 3-0 on Monday night for their fifth straight win.

“It’s always good if you can do some damage early but we couldn’t,” Cubs manager Mike Quade said. “We created plenty of opportunities, that’s for sure.”

The Cubs had just two hits with runners in scoring position in 14 tries.

Jurrjens (13-5) allowed eight hits and walked five. The Cubs had nine hits and drew a season-high seven walks but still ended up with a goose egg on the board and stranded a season-high 15 runners on the night.

“He’s got a very good movement on the ball so I think that he’s got good location,” Chicago’s Alfonso Soriano said. “He knows what he’s doing when he’s pitching.

“That was the key to why we lost tonight because we left a lot of runners in scoring position. We didn’t get that big hit tonight.”

The Cubs fell to 13-7 this month, missing out on a chance to start an August 14-6 for just the third time in 78 years.

The Cubs played without Starlin Castro, who was benched for a “mental day off” by manager Mike Quade after television cameras captured the 21-year-old shortstop not paying attention as a pitch was thrown during Sunday night’s loss to St. Louis.

Castro, who leads the NL with 164 hits, was the only position player not to make an appearance for the Cubs, who used four pinch-hitters. Quade said he would have used Castro in the ninth had the pitcher’s spot come up again.

“I was kind of hoping to use him in the ninth, that means would we have gotten to (the pitcher’s) spot,” Quade said. “I would have used him.”

With Castro out of the lineup, Darwin Barney moved over from second base and made a couple of sparkling plays at shortstop, including a diving stop on Uggla’s hard-hit ball in the third that saved a run.

“He’s a good little player, isn’t he?” Quade said. “His versatility is huge. He did a real good job tonight.”

Quade said he wasn’t sure if Castro would be back in the starting lineup on Tuesday.

Jonny Venters walked the first two batters in the ninth, but got the last three outs for his fifth save, a fitting end for the Cubs’ parade of stranded runners.

“That’s not the way you draw it up, but (Venters has) got that composure that he can get out of that jam,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said.

Ryan Dempster (10-9) struck out eight over six innings but fell to 2-10 in his career against the Braves. He allowed homers to Dan Uggla and Freddie Freeman, plus a scratch run in the third.

“Couple of bad pitches,” Dempster said. “Freeman’s ball, it’s the first time I’ve ever faced him and he hit a first-pitch slider out. I hung a pitch to Uggla.”

Freeman opened the scoring with a solo homer in the second. Uggla led off the sixth by hitting a drive onto Waveland Avenue.

“Who’d have thought, right?,” Uggla said. “I guess that’s where I’ve got to hit them against this team.”

Aramis Ramirez singled his first three times up for the Cubs, extending his hitting streak to 11 games. He’s hitting .512 (22 for 43) during that stretch.

NOTES: Cubs reliever Kerry Wood struck out the side in the ninth and has now struck out 14 of the last 19 batters he’s faced. Braves RHP Tommy Hanson threw nine pitches during a short bullpen session on Monday and is slated to throw again on Tuesday as the latest step in his recovery from right rotator cuff tendinitis. Atlanta is hoping Hanson can make a rehab start on Saturday for Triple-A Gwinnett. … Monday marked the first anniversary of Quade’s ascension as Cubs manager. On Aug. 22, 2010, former skipper Lou Piniella announced his retirement and Quade was given the job on an interim basis. He had the interim tag removed after leading the Cubs to a 24-13 finish. … Atlanta will send LHP Mike Minor to the mound on Tuesday to face Chicago’s Casey Coleman, who is 0-3 with a 12.27 ERA in five appearances this season at Wrigley Field.