San  Francisco, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Jeff Samardzija struck out 10 batters 
and  finally earned his  first win of the season as the Chicago Cubs took down 
the  San  Francisco Giants, 8-4,  in the opener of  a three-game set from AT&T 
Park. 

Samardzija  (1-4),  who entered Monday's tilt  with the best ERA (1.46) in the 
majors,  was winless  in 10  starts.  His first  win came  despite matching  a 
season-high  four runs -- three earned -- on six hits in seven-plus innings of 
work. 

"I  think  it's a relief  for him. Everybody's wanted  him to have a victory," 
Cubs manager Rick Renteria said. 

Nate  Schierholtz had two  runs scored and a pair of hits, including his first 
home  run of the season for the Cubs, who improved to 3-2 on this 10-game road 
trip.  Anthony Rizzo also had two hits and two runs, while Darwin Barney drove 
in a pair. 

Pablo  Sandoval went  2-for-4 with a homer  in defeat, driving in three of San 
Francisco's four runs. Brandon Crawford had the other RBI, but it came late in 
the game with a five-run deficit. 

Yusmeiro Petit (3-2) surrendered four runs on six hits in five innings for the 
Giants.  David Huff  didn't fare much better out of the bullpen, allowing four 
runs on seven hits in 1 1/3 frames. 

Sandoval  plated the game's first run with a two-out single to center, plating 
Angel Pagan. Pagan reached leading off the game on Samardzija's error. 

Schierholtz  tied it in  the top of the third, but Sandoval's two-run blast to 
right in the bottom of the fourth made it 3-1 in favor of the home team. 

It  was all Cubs  after that. Luis Valbuena and Welington Castillo led off the 
fifth  with singles  and a  fielder's  choice on  Schierholtz's grounder  left 
runners  on the  corners and  one out.  Barney  made it  3-2 with  a sac  fly, 
Samardzija  helped  his case with an  RBI double to right and Emilio Bonifacio 
gave the Cubs a lead with his triple to right. 

"That  kind of broke our back right there," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said of 
Samardzija's double. 

Chicago  pushed two more  runs across in the sixth and seventh innings to pull 
away.  Castillo's single  to left in the sixth plated Rizzo and Barney brought 
home Castillo two batters later for a 6-3 spread. 

Junior  Lake singled with one gone in the seventh and moved to third on Huff's 
error.  Rizzo doubled  him home two batters later before Valbuena delivered an 
RBI single to right. 

Crawford's single to right in the seventh scored Michael Morse, who tripled to 
leadoff the frame. 

                                   Game Notes 

Prior  to the game, the Cubs activated outfielder Justin Ruggiano from the 15- 
day  disabled  list and optioned  outfielder Ryan  Kalish to Triple-A Iowa ... 
Chicago  finished  5-for-12 with  runners in  scoring position ... Bonifacio's 
triple was his third of the season ... The Cubs outhit the Giants, 13-6.