FINAL: Cubs 5, Giants 2; bullpen sharp as Cubs go up 2-0 in NLDS

The Cubs bullpen threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings to lead the way in a 5-2 victory over the Giants on Saturday in Game 2 of the NLDS at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs now own a 2-0 lead in the series.

Starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks came out of the game with two outs in the fourth after a comebacker bruised his right forearm.

Travis Wood, C.J. Edwards, Mike Montgomery, Hector Rondon and Aroldis Chapman took over and kept the Giants off the scoreboard the rest of the night. They gave up just two hits and struck out six.

With a scoreless inning from Chapman on Friday night, the Cubs pen has yet to allow a run this postseason.

The Cubs offense laid into San Francisco starter Jeff Samardzija, scoring four runs in the first two innings. Hendricks helped his own cause with a two-run single.

Reliever Travis Wood added a solo shot in the fourth, becoming just the second reliever to hit a postseason home run.

Bottom Eighth: The Cubs go down in order, and Aroldis Chapman is on his way in to close things out.

He’ll have to face Crawford, Pagan and Tomlinson in the ninth.

Headed to top ninth: Cubs 5, Giants 2

Top Eighth: Three more outs.

Hector Rondon carried the torch in the eighth and recorded a strikeout and groundout to get the Cubs through the inning.

The Giants are now three outs away from falling behind 2-0 in the NLDS.

Rondon became the fourth Cubs reliever to pitch without giving up a run.

With a three-run lead, Aroldis Chapman figures to come in and close it out. But the Cubs will have one more at-bat before that happens.

Headed to bottom eighth: Cubs 5, Giants 2

Due up for Cubs: Russell, Heyward, Baez

Bottom Seventh: The Cubs couldn’t score against Giants relievers Derek Law and Santiago Casilla.

Kris Bryant reached on an error, but the Cubs couldn’t do anything with the baserunner.

The Giants are down to six outs to make up the three runs they’ve fallen behind.

Headed to top eighth: Cubs 5, Giants 2

Due up for Giants: Span, Belt, Posey

Top Seventh: Mike Montgomery pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning for the Cubs.

Four Cubs relievers have now pitched 4.1 scoreless innings this series.

Here’s our story about Kyle Hendricks, who left today’s game with a bruise on his forearm.

The Cubs send the top of the order up in the bottom of the seventh in search of a few insurance runs.

Derek Law on to pitch for San Francisco.

Headed to bottom seventh: Cubs 5, Giants 2

Due up for Cubs: Fowler, Bryant, Rizzo

Bottom Sixth: For the second time in two nights, Javy Baez watched and admired a home run off his bat.

Except this time, the ball didn’t actually leave the park. Baez had to hustle to second base and then was called out after briefly coming off it after his slide.

Willson Contreras singled in the next at-bat, which may have scored Baez.

Miguel Montero pinch-hit for C.J. Edwards, so Mike Montgomery will come on for the Cubs in the seventh.

Headed to top seventh: Cubs 5, Giants 2

Due up for Giants: Tomlinson, Panik, Casilla

Top Sixth: The relief pitching has outpaced its starting counterpart these last three innings.

C.J. Edwards gave up a harmless single in the sixth and continued the stellar bullpen work the Cubs have gotten the last two nights.

By the way….Travis Wood’s home run made him just the second reliever in postseason history to hit one.

Headed to bottom sixth: Cubs 5, Giants 2

Due up for Cubs: Heyward, Baez, Contreras

Bottom Fifth: Ty Blach came on in relief of George Kronos and retired the Cubs in order here in the fifth.

The diagnosis came back on Kyle Hendricks, who has a right forearm contusion.

C.J. Edwards will come on to pitch the sixth for the Cubs in place of Travis Wood.

Headed to top sixth: Cubs 5, Giants 2

Due up for Giants: Posey, Pence, Crawford

Top Fifth: Travis Wood escaped the fifth despite two errors on a single play by Kris Bryant.

Bryant booted a scorcher off the bat of Madison Bumgarner, then threw it into the Giants’ dugout while trying to recover.

Bumgarner advanced to second on the play and reached third on the next at-bat. Wood got Brandon Belt to fly out to end the threat.

Headed to bottom fifth: Cubs 5, Giants 2

Due up for Cubs: Rizzo, Zobrist, Russell

Bottom Fourth: Travis Wood and Kyle Hendricks have both helped their own causes tonight.

After coming on in relief of Hendricks in the top of the inning, Wood cranked a solo home run deep to left field with one out in the second.

He was excitedly greeted by the Cubs dugout after rounding the bases and then came out for a curtain call.

Wood’s homer was the 10th of his career.

Earlier in the game, Hendricks hit a two run-single in the second inning.

Headed to top fifth: Cubs 5, Giants 2

Due up for Giants: Panik, Kontos, Span

Top Fourth: Kyle Hendricks came out of the game after taking a line drive off what appeared to be his right forearm.

The drive came off the bat of Angel Pagan, who reached on an infield single.

Joe Maddon came out to check on Hendricks, and after watching the right-hander take a few practice pitches, removed him from the game.

Travis Wood came on in relief and struck out Conor Gillaspie to end the inning.

Final line on Hendricks: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 0 K.

Headed to bottom fourth: Cubs 4, Giants 2

Due up for Cubs: Contreras, Wood, Fowler

Bottom Third: George Kontos took the hill for the Giants in relief early and did what Jeff Samardzija couldn’t: put the Cubs down in order.

Final line on Samardzija: 2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Kontos has given up just two earned runs since Aug. 24 but hasn’t been stretched out more than one inning since Aug. 12.

Headed to top fourth: Cubs 4, Giants 2

Due up for Giants: Pence, Crawford, Pagan

Top Third: Bruce Bochy made the decision to get Jeff Samardzija out of the game here in the third.

He pinch hit for Samardzija after Joe Panik’s leadoff double, and the decision paid off.

Gregor Blanco doubled Panik in for the Giants’ first run of the series, and Brandon Belt hit a sacrifice fly two batters later to put San Francisco right back in the game.

The Giants will have to piece together the next six innings out of their bullpen, which could bode well for Chicago. The Giants own a 3.65 ERA out of the bullpen, the worst mark of NL playoff teams.

Headed to bottom third: Cubs 4, Giants 2

Due up for Cubs: Russell, Heyward, Baez

Bottom second: Jeff Samardzija is pitching the way he did for the White Sox much of last season, and the Cubs are taking advantage.

Kyle Hendricks helped his own cause with a two-run single up the middle, scoring Jason Heyward and Javy Baez.

Kris Bryant kept the momentum going with an RBI single of his own to put the Cubs up 4-0.

Heyward smashed a laser to right field for a double to lead off the inning. Baez came to the plate to chants of “Ja-vy! Ja-vy!” and drew a walk.

Willson Contreras ripped a single to right to load the bases for Hendricks, who came through in the clutch.

Samardzija has already thrown 47 pitches, and the Giants already have some action in the bullpen.

Headed to top third: Cubs 4, Giants 0

Due up for Giants: Panik, Samardzija, Span

Top Second: Willson Contreras made a rookie mistake of sorts, being called for catcher’s interference with one out in the second.

The error put two runners on, but Kyle Hendricks forced Conor Gillaspie to ground into a 4-6-3 double play to end the threat.

Headed to bottom second: Cubs 1, Giants 0

Due up for Cubs: Heyward, Baez, Contreras

Bottom First: This game has already seen as much scoring as last night’s pitcher’s duel.

Ben Zobrist blooped a two-out single to right, scoring Dexter Fowler and giving the Cubs a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.

Fowler got the inning going with a nine-pitch at-bat that resulted in a leadoff double. When Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo failed to advance him, Zobrist came through with the clutch single.

Headed to top second: Cubs 1, Giants 0

Due up for Giants: Pence, Crawford, Pagan

Top First: Kyle Hendricks is off to an even better start than Jon Lester a day ago. The Giants went down in order in the first.

Headed to bottom first: Giants 0, Cubs 0

Due up for Cubs: Fowler, Bryant, Rizzo

Welcome back to our live blog of the National League Division Series between the Giants and Cubs.

We were treated to an exceptional Game 1 on Friday night that will be hard to top. Javy Baez cranked an eighth-inning home run and Jon Lester hurled a gem to give the Cubs a 1-0 leg up in the series.

We’ll have live updates right here throughout tonight’s game.

Here’s what’s on tap for Game 2:

Jeff Samardzija (12-11, 3.81) is on the mound for the Giants, and he’ll square off against Kyle Hendricks (16-8, 2.13). Hendricks is the MLB leader in ERA.

Game 2 lineups:

Giants:

1. Span, CF; 2. Belt, 1B; 3. Posey, C; 4. Pence, RF; 5. Crawford, SS; 6. Pagan, LF; 7. Gillaspie, 3B; 8. Panik, 2B; 9. Samardzija, P

Cubs:

1. Fowler, CF; 2. Bryant, 3B; 3. Rizzo. 1B; 4. Zobrist, LF; 5. Russell, SS; 6. Heyward, RF; 7. Baez, 2B; 8. Contreras, C; 9. Hendricks, P

And here are a few Cubs headlines you may have missed from the past 24 hours:

Emanuel gambles liquor, ribs in NLDS wager with San Fran mayor

Chapman, ready when needed, finishes Giants in Game 1

Jon Lester gives the Cubs a huge boost in Game 1 nailbiter

These aren’t your father’s Cubs: This team is built to last

Cubs start countdown with 1-0 win over Giants in opener: 10 to go

Sneed: Will Ditka be the Cubs’ lucky charm

Playoff fever: the lengths to which some Cubs fans will go