Recap: Chicago Cubs vs. San Francisco

By Sports Network

Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Tim Lincecum tossed eight brilliant innings and helped himself at the plate with an RBI triple as the San Francisco Giants avoided a three-game sweep at the hands of the Chicago Cubs with a 4-2 win at Wrigley Field.

Lincecum (11-2) allowed a run on six hits and struck out nine for the Giants, who snapped a six-game losing streak and reached the All-Star break with a 40-55 record. Brian Wilson allowed a run in a rocky ninth inning but held on for his 25th save.

Ray Durham went 2-for-4 and knocked in a pair of runs, while Fred Lewis added an RBI triple and Omar Vizquel had two hits and scored a run.

Jim Edmonds and Geovany Soto knocked in the runs for the Cubs, who won five of their final seven games before the midseason break. Despite the loss, the Cubs enter the All-Star break with the National League's best record at 57-38.

Ryan Dempster (10-4) allowed four runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 frames -- striking out six and walking three -- and lost for the first time this season at Wrigley Field. Dempster had gone 10-0 over his first 11 starts at home.

The Giants struck Dempster with three runs in the third inning and never looked back. Vizquel singled with one out, stole second and came around to score when Lincecum smoked a triple to right. Lewis walked and proceeded to steal second, an one out later Durham brought two more runs in by grounding a single to right.

Chicago pulled back a run in the fourth, as Mark DeRosa worked a one-out walk and scored on Edmonds' double. However, Lincecum shut the Cubs down for the remainder of his outing, and the Giants added an extra run in the seventh when Rich Aurilia led off with a single and scored two outs later when Lewis roped a triple to right.

The Cubs nearly came back against Wilson in the ninth, as Edmonds walked with one out, moved to second on Johnson's single and scored when pinch-hitter Soto lined a single to right. But, Wilson fanned pinch-hitter Daryle Ward, then got Ryan Theriot to ground out to second to finish off the win.