Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki’s early solo homer run was the only run lifting his team above the Giants for much of the game. Then, when the team rallied in late innings to a 5-0 win Monday, Suzuki continued to come up clutch.

“I feel really good right now,” Suzuki said through interpreter Toy Matsushita. “And I just want to make sure I continue this until the very end. So that’s what I’m going to do.”

Suzuki drove in three of the Cub’s five runs Monday, on a home run, double and fielder’s choice. He’s on a five-game hitting streak and is batting .337 since Aug. 9, when he returned to the everyday starting lineup after temporarily platooning.

His second-inning home run off of Giants starter Logan Webb on Monday was Suzuki’s 15th blast of the season, a career high. 

It was one of only two hits the Cubs recorded against Webb in the first six innings. 

“His changeup was really good today,” Suzuki said. “That home run that I hit was a hanger, so I got pretty lucky. But obviously we couldn’t get that many runs in today, so you see how good of a pitcher he was.”

The Cubs finally started to string together hits against Webb in the seventh inning. Cody Bellinger led off with a single. Then, he advanced to second on Dansby Swanson’s groundout. That put Bellinger in scoring position for Suzuki, who hit a long fly into the right-center gap for an RBI double. Yan Gomes later drove in Suzuki with two outs to end Webb’s outing. 

“That was a good pitching matchup,” Ross said of the Giants’ best pitcher going up against Justin Steele, the Cubs’ No. 1. 

The Cubs tacked on two more runs against Giants reliever Tristan Beck. 

Bellinger ‘bumps and bruises’

Bellinger served as the Cubs’ designated hitter for the second straight game on Monday.

“He’s got some bumps and bruises,” Ross said. “I’m trying to err on the side of caution with that. But he’s fine, he can do everything we asked him to do.”

Ross also referenced the Cubs’ bizarre schedule this week. They played a doubleheader last Friday, a night game Saturday and a noon game on Sunday in Cincinnati. This Monday through Friday, they switch game times every day.

“It’s the time of year that they’re not going to get many days off,” Ross said of his best players. “There’s no more resting. We’re gonna try to push it.”

So, DHing is the closest they’re going to get to a rest day. That’s how Ross will be looking at the DH spot as the Cubs go through a series of quick turnarounds. 

This and that

• The Cubs’ win Monday was their  74th of the season, tying their 2022 win total. 
• Steele and reliever José Cuas combined to shut out the Giants, recording the Cubs pitching staff’s 12th shutout of the season.