SAN FRANCISCO (Interstat) — Ben Brown pitched five solid innings and the Chicago Cubs used an early home run from Pete Crow-Armstrong to jumpstart a 6-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday at Oracle Park.

The Cubs, who improved to 37-34, won their second straight game to open a four-game series against the Giants. San Francisco fell to 28-43.

Brown, earning his third win against two losses, scattered seven hits while striking out three and allowing one earned run. He retired the side in order in the first and third innings and worked around trouble in the second and fourth. The right-hander gave way to Caleb Thielbar, Ethan Roberts and Phil Maton, who combined for four scoreless innings of relief, striking out four without permitting a hit.

San Francisco starter Trevor McDonald took the loss, dropping to 2-4. He lasted only three innings, allowing four runs on five hits, walking four and striking out one.

Crow-Armstrong set the tone in the top of the first inning, launching his 12th home run of the season to left-center field. The solo shot came on the first pitch of the game from McDonald and gave the Cubs an immediate lead. Alex Bregman followed with a flyout, but Michael Busch doubled to center. Seiya Suzuki walked, but Ian Happ grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Giants threatened in the bottom of the first when Bryce Eldridge singled to right field but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double by Suzuki. Casey Schmitt lined out to left to end the frame.

Chicago added to its advantage in the third inning. Crow-Armstrong led off with a double to right field. After Bregman flew out to left, moving Crow-Armstrong to third, Busch walked. Suzuki singled to left, scoring Crow-Armstrong and moving Busch to second. Happ grounded into a force out, putting runners at the corners before Nico Hoerner grounded out to first.

San Francisco countered in the bottom of the third. Drew Gilbert walked with one out. Eric Haase flied out, but Luis Arraez tripled to center field, scoring Gilbert and cutting the deficit to 3-1. Bryce Eldridge walked, but Casey Schmitt and Rafael Devers struck out to strand two runners.

The Cubs promptly restored their three-run lead in the fourth. With two outs, Dansby Swanson walked. Crow-Armstrong singled to right, sending Swanson to third. Bregman was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Busch walked to force in Swanson, making it 4-1. Suzuki struck out looking to end the inning.

Chicago broke the game open in the fifth. Happ led off with his 16th home run of the season, a solo shot to left field. Hoerner grounded out, but Pedro Ramírez followed with his first homer of the season, a solo blast to center field. Miguel Amaya grounded out and Swanson struck out, but the Cubs had extended their lead to 6-1.

The Giants had a chance in the bottom of the fifth when Casey Schmitt and Rafael Devers strung together consecutive one-out singles, but Jung Hoo Lee grounded out to end the inning.

From there, the Cubs bullpen shut the door. Thielbar worked one and two-thirds innings, striking out one. Roberts struck out two in a perfect eighth, and Maton struck out one in one and one-third scoreless innings to close the game.

Crow-Armstrong finished three for five with a homer, a double and one run batted in. Ramírez went two for five with a double, a homer and one RBI. Busch reached base three times on two walks and a double, scoring one run. Hoerner had no hits but made several key defensive plays at second base.

For the Giants, Arraez tripled and drove in their only run. Devers and Eldridge each had two hits. The Giants managed seven hits but struck out 10 times as a team.

The Cubs outhit the Giants 11-7. Chicago’s pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts, 63 balls and 13 balls in play, while San Francisco pitchers recorded 10 strikeouts, 38 balls and 10 balls in play.

The game lasted three hours, three minutes in front of an announced crowd of 35,142.

The Cubs continued their recent success at Oracle Park. A day earlier, Chicago had won 5-1 on Friday. The two teams split a four-game set in Chicago earlier this month, with the Giants winning 18-3 and the Cubs taking two of three, including a 3-2 walk-off victory in 10 innings.

The win was also the fifth in the last eight games for the Cubs after a rough stretch that included a four-game losing streak. The Giants have lost five of their last six and are in last place in the National League West.

Chicago’s next game is Sunday against San Francisco, which will conclude the four-game series. The Cubs then return home to face the Colorado Rockies on Monday.

San Francisco will host the Cubs again on Sunday before embarking on a six-game road trip to Atlanta and Miami.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of San Francisco 5, Chicago 3. Interstat’s ELO system had projected the Cubs with a 53.40 percent probability to win. The Cubs were installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total score of seven went under the over/under line of 7.5.