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CHICAGO -- With two outs in the seventh inning the statistic was staggering: The Giants hadnt gotten a hit in 40 at-bats spanning two games.Hunter Pence ended the futility with a home run, but it wasnt enough to stop San Francisco from another defeat in its miserable second half of the season.Jon Lester pitched 6 2/3 innings of no-hit ball and settled for his second complete game of the season, helping the sizzling Chicago Cubs shut down the Giants 2-1 on Friday.We were getting some things going but the boys needed a break and have one of those hard-hit balls fall in, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.Pence ended Lesters bid for a second no-hitter with a homer to left on a 1-2 changeup that cut over the plate. Brandon Crawford followed with a double and it looked like Eduardo Nunez was going to drive in the tying run, but his liner was caught by third baseman Kris Bryant.We ran into a very hot pitcher whos throwing the ball very well and he was on top of his game, Bochy said. Still, youve got to generate some offense.I will say we hit some balls right at them, too. We couldve used a break on Nunezs ball. He just hit it right at him or right there the game is tied.Lester worked around Trevor Browns one-out double in the eighth. After a ninth-inning walk, he struck out Crawford -- his fourth of the game -- to end it with his 102nd pitch.Lester allowed three hits and walked two. The Cubs have won five straight to improve to 87-47. The last time they were 40 games over .500 was the end of the 1945 season.Its pretty incredible, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said.David Ross had an RBI double and Dexter Fowler a run-scoring single in the third off Albert Suarez (3-3) as the Giants fell to a major league-worst 15-29 since the All-Star break.Lester walked Buster Posey with two outs in the first inning and followed by setting down 18 straight while getting some help.Bryant made a diving, backhand grab of Crawfords liner to lead off the fifth and Dexter Fowler made a sliding catch of pinch-hitter Kelby Tomlinsons liner to center an inning later.We had some chances, Pence said. Crawford hit a double. Brownie hit the double. Nunez crushed that line drive right at him Dennard (Span) hit that line drive. They just happened to be there.The 32-year-old Lester threw a no-hitter on May 19, 2008, for Boston against Kansas City. He acknowledged he started thinking about a second one after the first inning and added, Anybody that tells you different is lying to you.The rookie Suarez retired the first six batters. He allowed three hits with two walks and three strikeouts in five innings, settling down after his 34-pitch third.I thought he did a very nice job, Bochy said. He got in a jam there and couldve let it get away from him but he made big pitches. He found a way to keep it close and gave us five solid innings.TRAINERS ROOMGiants: Brown (illness) started after being unavailable Thursday, allowing Posey to play 1B. Brown tested negative for strep throat. ... RHP Matt Cain (back) was activated off the DL and became the 12th reliever thanks to expanded rosters.Cubs: RHP John Lackey (shoulder) came out fine after a bullpen session and will start Sundays series finale.LONG DROUGHTThe 12 consecutive full innings the Giants were held without a hit tied the longest streak for the team since at least 1974, according to STATS.PENCES STREAKPence has hit in 17 straight games at Wrigley Field, the longest active streak in the majors.CLOSE GAME WOESThe Giants fell to 4-12 in one-run games since the All-Star break.UP NEXTA showdown of stars Saturday as Cubs RHP Jake Arrieta (16-5, 2.84 ERA) faces LHP Madison Bumgarner (13-8, 2.49). Itll be an interesting day, no question, Maddon said. Wholesale Shoes Australia . -- Its been a long road back for Sean Bergenheim. Clearance Shoes Australia . Murray beat Sam Querrey 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-3 to clinch Britains opening-round victory against the United States on Sunday at Petco Park. "Im proud of the way Im playing just now, because I had to do a lot of work to get back to where I want to be," Murray said after celebrating with his teammates on the red clay court in a temporary stadium in left field of the downtown home of baseballs San Diego Padres. https://www.shoesaustraliaonline.com/ . - Oakland Raiders running back Rashad Jennings was speaking to a group of local high school students earlier this week when the conversation turned to the importance of being prepared when opportunities in life arise. Shoes Australia Outlet . The recently retired Stern was elected Friday to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and will be enshrined with the class of 2014 on Aug. Fake Shoes Australia . Tuesdays surgery at Atlantas Piedmont Hospital was performed by Dr. Xavier Duralde and Hawks team physician Dr. Michael Bernot. ELMONT, N.Y. -- Baseball isnt the only game of inches.Fans of the horse Syndergaard -- including the New York Mets pitcher for whom he was named and who was in attendance Saturday at Belmont Park -- were reminded of that as Practical Joke, after a furlong battle, got his nose down on the wire in front of Syndergaard to win the Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne.The victory was one of three graded stakes that trainer Chad Brown won on Saturdays card at Belmont. Practical Joke earned an automatic berth into the $2 million Breeders Cup Juvenile on Nov. 5 at Santa Anita but he is not Breeders Cup nominated and his connections - owner Seth Klarman and Bill Lawrence - would have to pay a $100,000 nomination fee. After that, his shipping expenses would be picked up by the Breeders Cup through the Win and Youre In program.Practical Joke overcame a slow start as, breaking from the rail, he took a left-hand turn and nearly went into the opening between the chute and the main track. Jockey Joel Rosario straightened him out, saved all the ground he could for more than six furlongs before tipping his horse off the rail turning for home.Syndergaard, under John Velazquez, had set torrid fractions of 22.74 seconds for the quarter-mile, 44.63 for the half, and 1:08.76 for six furlongs while being hounded by Big Gray Rocket.Syndergaard disposed of Big Gray Rocket at the three-sixteenth pole but was soon confronted by Practical Joke. The pair raced in lockstep through the final furlong and it was going to come down to a head bob, with this one going to Practical Joke.He got a beautiful pace setup but he had a terrible break as well, said Brown, who trains Practical Joke for Seth Klarman and Bill Lawrence. He showed how ggood a horse he is.dddddddddddd The runner-up is a very good horse as well. He deserves a lot of credit for fighting as well as he did. It was a close bob at the end but Im glad we got it.It was 6-1/2 lengths back to Favorable Outcome - also trained by Brown. He was followed, in order, by Big Gray Rocket, Thirst for Victory, and Lookin At Blessing.Practical Joke, who added the Champagne to his narrow victory in the Grade 1 Hopeful at Saratoga, covered the mile in 1:34.68 and returned $7.90 to win.Rosario, who was riding Practical Joke for the first time, said he could sense the horse wanted to do something mischievous coming out of the gate. He said the break cost him a few lengths but he thought he would benefit from an anticipated quick pace.I was going to be stalking it looked like because it looked like on paper there was a lot of speed, Rosario said. I was planning to take my time with him and keep coming with that long run he has.There was a bit more buzz surrounding the Champagne as the presence of Syndergaard, the pitcher, drew a lot of interest from fans who chanted No-ah, No-ah when they saw him in the paddock.Syndergaard, sipping a bottle of Corona, watched the race from the box seats and thought the horse had won, raising his hands in victory.He was not nearly as frustrated, however, as Todd Pletcher, the colts trainer.It was just unfortunate Mike never gave us a breather, said Pletcher, referring to Mike Smith, the rider of Big Gray Rocket. It set up well for somebody to come from off the pace. I thought the horse ran very courageously. Frustrating loss. ' ' '