Cubs beat Giants 2-1 in suspended game

This gives new meaning to a win that was a long-time coming for the Chicago Cubs.

After two days, the first upheld protest in nearly 30 years and another rain storm, the Cubs finally completed a 2-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants in a suspended game on Thursday night.

Including delays - 1 hour, 57 minutes Thursday - the game lasted 9:21.

''It was an interesting day today,'' Cubs manager Rick Renteria said. ''We got more weather.''

Anthony Rizzo's two-run homer Tuesday held up as the teams played the final 4 1/2 innings of a game the Cubs thought they had won 2-0 before Major League Baseball ruled it was suspended.

In the middle of the fifth inning Tuesday, a short rainstorm caused a delay of more than 4 1/2 hours after the grounds crew couldn't put the tarp down quickly. The umpires said the field was unplayable and called it at 1:16 a.m.

But the Giants protested, and MLB ruled that the tarp had not been properly put away after its previous use. The game was suspended.

Then it rained some more on Thursday.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who expressed his frustration on Tuesday, was satisfied with how the game played out.

''It was a little bit of a strange one with the suspended game today,'' said Bochy, who added, ''You know, they got it right.''

It was the first successful protest in MLB since 1986.

For the Cubs, who supported the Giants' protest, it felt good to win without grounds crew assistance.

''I'd be lying to you if I didn't tell you that we wanted to close it out,'' Renteria said. ''Everyone did everything possible to get it in. ''

Joe Panik had an RBI single in the sixth to pull the Giants to 2-1, but they were unable to scratch another run across against the Cubs bullpen.

Tuesday's starters proved to be the pitchers of record. Tsuyoshi Wada (3-1) earned the victory for the Cubs, while Ryan Vogelsong (7-9) took the loss.

Hector Rondon worked a scoreless ninth for his 19th save in 23 opportunities, putting runners on first and second before ending it by stopping Angel Pagan's comebacker with his foot.