SAN FRANCISCO — Acting Cubs manager Alan Trammell has been very accurate in his prognostications this week. He predicted the team would make some moves, and the next day, Mike Fontenot was dealt to the Giants.
He also hinted the Cubs had a chance to beat the Giants' Tim Lincecum, and they did. Before Thursday's game, Trammell said the Cubs had a tough task against Matt Cain.
"We've got our hands full today," Trammell said.
He was right. What Trammell didn't forecast, or probably hoped to avoid, were more errors in the field and starter Randy Wells' meltdown.
Pat Burrell hit two home runs, including his sixth career grand slam, and pinch-hitter Andres Torres hit a walk-off RBI single with one out in the ninth to lift the Giants to an 8-7 victory over the Cubs on Thursday.
It's another one-run loss for the Cubs, the 42nd this year, most in the Majors. They're now 13-29, and the 29 losses also lead the Majors.
"It's not fun at all," Chicago's Marlon Byrd said. "You get sick and tired of losing. One-run games, 10-run games, it just gets old."
With the game tied at 7 in the Giants' ninth against Andrew Cashner (1-5), Aaron Rowand was safe on a broken-bat infield hit, making a headfirst slide into first. He moved up on Freddy Sanchez's sacrifice. Aubrey Huff was intentionally walked and Buster Posey unintentionally walked to load the bases for Torres, who singled over Byrd in center to hand the Cubs their 14th loss in the last 17 games.
"I just tried to stay patient in that at-bat," Torres said. "I just tried to see a pitch and tried to hit something in the air."
It worked. Brian Wilson (3-1) picked up the win in relief. Cain struck out nine over six innings, giving up three runs on eight hits. For a change, the Cubs did score against the right-hander. Tyler Colvin and Starlin Castro each singled to start the first, and two outs later, both scored on Xavier Nady's double to left. That snapped Cain's scoreless-innings streak against the Cubs at 23, which extended over three starts. The last time he gave up an earned run to Chicago was Aug. 23, 2007.
Pablo Sandoval tripled with one out in the Giants' second, the ball hitting the base of the outfield wall and rolling out of reach of Kosuke Fukudome, and scored on Juan Uribe's single.
Wells helped himself in the fourth by hitting a two-out RBI single to go ahead 3-1. But things turned in a five-pitch span in the Giants' fourth as Burrell led off with his first homer of the game and second in as many games, and Sandoval connected on his seventh homer four pitches later. Sandoval's was the Giants' 54th splash hit, landing in McCovey Cove and within reach of an enterprising kayaker.
"Terrible," Wells said of his outing. "I've got no explanation for you. It's pretty cut and dry. I didn't make pitches, behind a lot of guys, and when it came time to execute, I didn't execute. You put yourself in a jam like I did in the fifth and then make a pitch and you're on pins and needles and trying to be fine and perfect with everything."
The fifth was more costly to the Cubs than the ninth. Rowand was safe on a throwing error by third baseman Jeff Baker and then stole second, sliding under a missed tag by Castro, who dropped the ball.
"Burrell was key for them in this series," Trammell said. "But you cannot give Major League teams extra outs. Can't make a play — can't make two plays, to be honest."
One out later, Wells walked two batters to load the bases for Burrell's grand slam, his 10th homer of the season. It's the first time Wells has given up three homers in one game.
The problem wasn't mechanical but mental.
"It's just a bad game," Wells said. "Poorly executed and no feeling sorry for yourself. Cut and dry, it's pitiful.
"I can't keep putting the team in a hole like that," he said. "It's not professional, it's not acceptable. Just chalk it up to a bad day and move on."
The Cubs did rally. Fukudome hit an RBI double in the seventh. In the eighth, Koyie Hill added another RBI double, another run scored on a groundout by Colvin, and Castro tied the game with his fourth hit, a RBI single.
Trammell turns the Cubs back over to Lou Piniella on Friday when he joins the team in St. Louis to start a three-game series against the National League Central leaders. Since Piniella's been gone, the Cubs have traded Fontenot and added Micah Hoffpauir plus rookies Marcos Mateo, Welington Castillo and Darwin Barney this week. Barney is the 11th rookie on the 25-man roster and entered as a defensive sub in the ninth.
"I'll be very glad to see [Piniella]," Trammell said. "He feels like we're in good hands. Obviously, we haven't done that well but I think he's comfortable knowing we did our best and we did.
"The effort level is there," he said, "but we have to clean some things up. It's more than just talking — we've talked about it. Guys have to go out there and do it. For some reason, this year in particular, we've had more than our share of mistakes that have come back to cost us."
The Cubs will have first baseman Derrek Lee back Friday after missing time to be with his grandfather, who is ill. However, Aramis Ramirez, sidelined with a sore left oblique, may not be ready.
One thing that hasn't changed, Trammell said, is the players have not given up on the season.
"There's no crying here and I have to say, you've seen the effort," Trammell said. "It's been there. I want to make sure that's loud and clear — that's the way it's supposed to be."