Cubs can’t catch up after starter’s early exit

SAN FRANCISCO — Continuing to blossom in May, the San Francisco Giants received an all-around effort from Matt Cain as they evened their three-game showdown against the Chicago Cubs with a 5-3 triumph Saturday.

The Giants, whose .700 winning percentage (14-6) is the best in the Major Leagues this month, relied heavily on Cain (1-5). The right-hander yielded Kris Bryant’s solo homer among six hits in six innings to gain his first victory since July 22. Since then, he had posted an 0-8 mark and a 6.27 ERA in 17 starts. Cain also hit a two-run, second-inning double off Jon Lester (4-3), who lasted just 2 2/3 innings and became the first Cubs starter to fall short of completing five innings this season.

“A lot of hard-hit balls, a lot of bad locations,” Lester said. “I couldn’t put guys away. Just a lot of bad situations. I’m most frustrated as far as not getting the ball where I wanted.”

Javier Baez’s RBI single sustained an eighth-inning rally in which the Cubs brought the potential tying run to the plate. But Giants left-hander Javier Lopez extinguished the threat by striking out pinch-hitter Tim Federowicz. Santiago Casilla surrendered Dexter Fowler’s leadoff homer in the ninth before retiring the next three hitters for his 11th save.

“Dex starts off the ninth with the home run and put us in a good spot,” Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. “Unfortunately we couldn’t get it done.”

MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDPosey parks one: After coming about three feet short of hitting a three-run homer Friday, Buster Posey left nothing to chance in Saturday’s third inning, clearing the left-field barrier with plenty to spare to record his fifth homer of the season, a two-run shot. Before that, Posey had recorded just one hit in his previous 25 at-bats at AT&T Park. He also hadn’t homered since May 1, going 62 at-bats without a long …

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