The result assured the Cubs will lose a series for the first time in nearly month. They will try to avoid a four-game sweep behind Kyle Hendricks on Sunday.

SAN FRANCISCO — The Cubs had hoped to carry the momentum from their three-game home sweep of the Padres into their West Coast trip.

But that momentum hasn’t quite reached California yet, and the Cubs haven’t looked anything like the team they were playing like in the first three games against the Giants.

In a battle of first-place teams, the Giants have gotten the better of the Cubs in each of the first three games of the series. The 4-3 loss Saturday assured the Cubs of their first series loss in nearly a month, and they will look to avoid a four-game sweep behind Kyle Hendricks on Sunday.

‘‘I want to win all the games,’’ manager David Ross said. ‘‘I don’t think we’ve played terrible baseball. I think the first couple of games, we’ve just come up a little short on them on the front end.’’

Just as they got off to fast starts with two-run home runs Thursday and Friday before ultimately losing both games, the Cubs did the same Saturday. They jumped out to a 2-0 lead after third baseman Patrick Wisdom opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the second inning.

But in each game of the series — much like in some parts of this season — the lack of length from the Cubs’ starting pitchers was the difference.

The Cubs needed innings out of right-hander Kohl Stewart, and it appeared he might be able to give them that early on. He got through the first three innings with one run allowed — on a solo homer by Alex Dickerson — and five strikeouts.

‘‘[The Giants] don’t beat themselves,’’ Ross said before the game. ‘‘They play really good defense, which always helps. . . . Their veteran players are really rejuvenated.’’

Stewart’s day took a turn in the fourth. After a leadoff walk, the Giants began making loud contact against him. The Giants got back-to-back singles from Jason Vosler and Chadwick Tromp to tie the score at 2. Two batters later, an RBI single by LaMonte Wade Jr. gave them a 3-2 lead and ended Stewart’s outing.

‘‘I think they’ve done a nice job all around,’’ Ross said of the Giants. ‘‘They’re just a solid team.’’

If there has been an area of weakness for the Cubs, it has been the lack of consistency from their starting pitchers. And after Stewart’s 3 1/3-inning outing, they haven’t had a starter make it through five innings in this series.

Ross has asked a lot of his bullpen through 58 games, and while the relievers have been lights-out most of the time they’ve been called upon, the strain of being asked to cover 12 or 13 outs a game slowly is starting to show.

‘‘It’s been one of those things that when we’ve gotten the lead and we’ve held it down early, we’ve been able to turn to the bullpen,’’ Ross said. ‘‘When we fall behind earlier or get some traffic and aren’t able to get out of that, it taxes the bullpen at some point. That’s where we’re at right now.”

The offense didn’t have much success against Giants right-hander Kevin Gausman, either. After Wisdom’s home run in the second, a single by Stewart in the third was the only other hit Gausman (7-0) allowed. He yielded two unearned runs and two hits, struck out 10 and walked none in seven innings, lowering his ERA to 1.27.

But after the offense looked dormant for most of the game, the Cubs did make a final push in the ninth. They scored a run and got the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position with two outs before falling short when Jason Heyward grounded to second base to end it.

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In one early Saturday attack, a man was killed and another wounded in a shooting in Austin.

Five people have been killed and at least 17 others wounded in shootings across Chicago since Friday night.

In the most recent fatal attack, a man was killed in West Englewood Saturday on the South Side.

The 26-year-old was on the street about 4:50 p.m. in the 6400 block of South Hoyne Avenue when someone fired shots from a vehicle, Chicago police said.

The man was struck in the chest, hip and neck, police said. He was pronounced dead at Holy Cross Hospital.

Earlier, a man was killed and another wounded in a shooting in Austin on the West Side.

Officers found a man unresponsive about 1:30 a.m. with gunshot wounds to his head and chest in the 1300 block of North Mayfield Avenue, police said. He was pronounced dead the scene.

He was identified as Gerald Collymore, 39, the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

Another man was also hurt in the shooting. The 26-year-old was shot in the ankle and self-transported to West Suburban Hospital. He was later transferred to Loyola University Medical Center, where he was in fair condition, police said.

Earlier Friday, a man was killed in another shooting in Austin, police said.

Michael Cooper was in a backyard about 7:25 p.m. in the 5200 block of West Le Moyne Street when someone approached and opened fire, striking him in the head, authorities said.

The 23-year-old was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

In another incident, a man was fatally shot in West Englewood on the South Side, police said.

Jermaine Sanders, 27, was on the sidewalk about 9:20 p.m. in the 5600 block of South Marshfield Avenue when someone fired shots at him from a white sedan, authorities said.

The man was struck in the head and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Less than an hour later, a man was found fatally shot in University Village on the Near West Side.

Latrell Goodwin, 24, was found unresponsive with gunshot wounds to his head and chest in a vehicle about 10 p.m. in the 1300 block of West Roosevelt Road, police said. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

In nonfatal shootings, three males were arrested in connection to a shooting in South Loop late Friday night.

A 30-year-old man was standing outside about 11 p.m. when he was shot in the leg by a male in the 2100 block of South Michigan Avenue, police said.

A witness saw the shooter get in a car with two other males and they were arrested shortly after, according to police.

The man was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where his condition was serious, police said.

On Saturday, a 17-year-old boy was wounded in a shooting in the Lawndale neighborhood.

The teen boy was sitting outside on the porch about 3:30 a.m. in the 4100 block of West 21st Place when someone inside a black-colored car fired shots, Chicago police said.

He was shot in the arm and was taken in good condition to Mount Sinai Hospital by a relative, police said.

The teen told officers the gunman was firing shots at a nearby group and was hit by a stray bullet, police said.

At least nine others were hurt in citywide shootings since 5 p.m. Friday.

Thirty-seven people were shot, three fatally, last week over Memorial Day weekend.

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Savanah Quintero was shot Wednesday after being approached by a group of suspected gang members who asked if she was in a gang and then chased her as she walked home from the store, officials said.

A 14-year-old girl who was shot Wednesday by gang members after being chased in Back of the Yards has died.

Savanah Quintero was pronounced dead at 12:57 p.m. at Comer Children’s Hospital, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

The shooting happened around 6 p.m. in the 1700 block of West 48th Street, Chicago police said.

The teen and her boyfriend had just bought snacks from a store when they were confronted by three young gunmen, according to police and Ald. Ray Lopez (15th).

They asked if she was in a gang, and after she said she wasn’t, the attackers chased her and opened fire, officials said. She was taken to Comer in critical condition at the time.

No arrests have been reported.

Anthony Vazquez, Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Lopez, who said he got details of the shooting from police, said a new gang in the area has been recruiting from neighborhood schools — focusing on kids 15 years and younger. He blamed the glorification of gang culture for violence in his ward.

“This elevation of gang life has to come to an end. It’s not cute. It only comes to one outcome, what we saw last night,” he told the Sun-Times.

The seventh-grader said she was not in a gang but a relative belonged to the rival Almighty Saints, Lopez said.

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Erica Wheeler scored a season-high 22 points while Amanda Zahui B added 13 points and 10 rebounds to help the Sparks win 68-63.

LOS ANGELES — Erica Wheeler scored a season-high 22 points, Amanda Zahui B added 13 points to go with 10 rebounds and the Sparks handed the Sky their seventh loss in a row with a 68-63 victory Saturday.

The Sky (2-7) again played without star forward Candace Parker (ankle), who signed a two-year contract with them as a free agent during the offseason after spending her first 13 seasons with the Sparks and helping them win the WNBA title in 2016. The Sparks honored Parker with a tribute video of her highlights with the team between the first and second quarters.

‘‘We have some stuff we have to correct,’’ said Sky coach James Wade, who indicated he hoped Parker would return for the Sky’s game Wednesday against the Fever at Wintrust Arena. ‘‘We have to play better basketball at the beginning of the game and have a sense of urgency. It’s not that we lost seven in a row, but we lost [the last] four in the same way. We just have to keep pushing through, and we will. We will. We’ll be OK.’’

After Zahui B tied the score at 57 with a running layup with 4:57 left, Nia Coffey made a driving layup with 4:13 to play to give the Sparks the lead for good.

Wheeler then scored six points in the final 80 seconds on a layup, a pull-up jumper and two free throws. The last of those points came with 30.1 seconds left and gave the Sparks a 67-61 lead.

Te’a Cooper also scored 13 points, and Coffey chipped in 10 to go with nine rebounds for the Sparks, who won despite shooting 37% overall and 16% from three-point range.

Kahleah Copper scored 15 points, Ruthy Hebard 14 and Diamond DeShields 10 for the Sky, who shot 34% overall and 28% from three-point range.

‘‘I just think we’ve gotta find it,’’ Copper said when she was asked about the attitude in the locker room. ‘‘We’ve just gotta dig deep and start pulling these wins out. Down the stretch, we’ve just gotta be tougher and gut these wins out. We’ve gotta play to win. We’ve gotta get going again.’’

When it was pointed out she led the Sky in scoring and grabbed seven rebounds, as well, Copper dismissed the accolades.

‘‘For me, it’s not a good day unless we win, so it was not a good one,’’ she said.

Hebard said the Sky isn’t overly concerned about their slow start.

‘‘We know we’re a good team,’’ she said. ‘‘We know we have it in us. Every day, just keep going.’’

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They were on the sidewalk about 6 p.m. in the 9800 block of South Lowe Avenue when someone opened fire, Chicago police said.

Two women were shot Saturday in Longwood Manor on the South Side.

They were on the sidewalk about 6 p.m. in the 9800 block of South Lowe Avenue when someone opened fire, Chicago police said.

A 46-year-old woman was shot in the head and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in critical condition, police said. Another woman, 20, was taken to the same hospital in good condition with a gunshot wound to her chest.

Area Two detectives are investigating and no arrests have been made.

The shooting happened steps from Medgar Evers Elementary school. Less than a block away, a group of children cooled themselves off with water guns on the sidewalk.

Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

A high school student who lives in the area said he got a text from a friend asking if he was okay after the shooting. He said he didn’t hear the gunshots, and walked over to see if anybody he knew had been hurt.

“It be cool over here for the most part, but sometimes some things happen,” the boy said. “If I get shot I get shot, you can’t stop it. But I don’t be fearing for my life when I’m outside.”

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Heyward is slashing .183/.254/.341 with four homers and 13 RBIs this season.

SAN FRANCISCO – The Cubs activated right fielder Jason Heyward from the 10-day injured list before Saturday’s game against the Giants and was back in the lineup, hitting sixth and playing right field. Outfielder Nick Martini was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Heyward has been out since May 20 with a right hamstring strain. The Cubs’ right-fielder is slashing .183/.254/.341 with four homers and 13 RBIs.

Outfielder Jake Marisnick was trending toward returning on Saturday, but after playing in back-to-back games during his rehab stint, his recovery has been a little slower than expected.

Marisnick did some on-field baseball activities before the game under the watch of the team’s medical staff.

“Still some soreness from playing,” manager David Ross said. “We’ll test him and run him pretty diligently today. And then maybe give him one more day off tomorrow, just to see. That recovery process didn’t go quite as smoothly as Jason’s. So we’re gonna give him one more day and then reassess tomorrow. Want to make sure these guys are 100% before we get him back.”

Abbott in, Wieck out

The Cubs also recalled right-hander Cory Abbott from Triple-A Iowa on Saturday and will pitch primarily out of the bullpen. Abbott, who was a starter in Iowa, comes to help supplement the team’s bullpen after a pair of short starts during the first two games of the team’s West Coast swing.

Abbott, 27, was the Cubs’ second-round pick in the 2017 MLB Draft and was 1-3 with a 6.39 ERA in five starts this season, but owns a respectable 3.14 ERA over his four minor league seasons.

Left-hander Brad Wieck was optioned to Triple-A Iowa to make room on the 26-man roster. Wieck has a 0.00 ERA with nine strikeouts in eight games this season.

“We got to see [Cory] in spring training,” Ross said. “I think Cory’s a guy that has been around a little while and on the radar. I’ve heard nothing but good things about his performances of late. We’re in a situation where we’ve used a lot of bullpen guys lately. You hate to send anybody down, Brad Wieck has been really good for us.

“But with the situation we’ve been through with some short outings from the starters, we need some length down there and some protection on the backside. I think Cory gives us that.”

Cubs claim RHP Dakota Chalmers

The Cubs have claimed right-hander Dakota Chalmers off waivers from the Twins. Chalmers is 9-8 with a 4.38 ERA in 52 career starts. He’ll report to Double-A Tennessee.

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The 26-year-old was on the street about 4:50 p.m. in the 6400 block of South Hoyne Avenue when someone fired shots from a vehicle, Chicago police said.

A man was fatally shot Saturday in West Englewood on the South Side.

The 26-year-old was on the street about 4:50 p.m. in the 6400 block of South Hoyne Avenue when someone fired shots from a vehicle, Chicago police said.

The man was struck in the chest, hip and neck, police said. He was pronounced dead at Holy Cross Hospital.

No arrests have been reported. Area One detectives are investigating.

On Friday, Jermaine Sanders, 42, was killed in a shooting blocks away in the 5600 block of South Marshfield Avenue.

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Despite the outcome, La Russa didn’t regret the decision to have Danny Mendick sacrifice against struggling Tigers pitcher Derek Holland.

The White Sox finally had their chance. Facing struggling Tigers reliever Derek Holland in the sixth inning, the Sox had already scored twice on a Jake Lamb double and had runners on first and second with nobody out.

But instead of letting Danny Mendick swing away, Sox manager Tony La Russa called for a bunt. With Detroit expecting it, Mendick’s attempt went to first baseman Jonathan Schoop, whose throw to third forced Lamb.

Grounders from Tim Anderson and Nick Madrigal ended the inning, and killed the Sox’ last true threat in their 4-3 loss Saturday to the Tigers.

Even if the bunt had worked, it would’ve given an out to a pitcher who had allowed a single, two doubles and a walk and started the day with a 9.00 ERA in 12 games. The bunt didn’t work, and effectively short-circuited the Sox’ best chance for a big inning.

La Russa, however, didn’t regret the decision.

“What was the score at the time? 4-3?” La Russa said. “Is the tying run on second base and the go-ahead run at first? And if he bunts them over, you’ve got Anderson and Madrigal? I think that’s the play.”

Mendick’s bunt, which came after Zack Collins walked during an at-bat La Russa had him try to sacrifice, wasn’t the only play that left questions.

On the same play Yasmani Grandal struck out looking, Yoan Moncada didn’t slide and was thrown out trying to steal second to end the seventh. Again, La Russa defended his move.

“It’s 3-2 and we started the runner. (Grandal) fouled a couple balls off, and then he took a pitch that he thought was a ball and the guy threw (Moncada) out,” La Russa said. “The bunt is not an aggressive play, and it didn’t work. That was an aggressive play, and it didn’t work. So make of it whatever you want to. That’s one good thing about watching the game, you know what my strategy was.”

La Russa’s strategy and moves have been a constant talking point this year. Saturday will add more to that conversation, while La Russa will have to wait another day to pass John McGraw for second on the all-time managerial wins list.

What the Sox also couldn’t do much of was hit Tigers starter Tarik Skubal. Over five innings, Skubal struck out 11 and got the best of the Sox for most of the day, making their opportunities to score even more precious.

“He landed curveballs when he needed to,” said Madrigal, who drove in the Sox’ opening run with an RBI single in the first. “You could see how much talent he has, and the stuff. Just kept us off balance when he needed to.”

Skubal was helped by a Tigers offense that got three home runs off Sox starter Lucas Giolito, including two from Eric Haase with the other by Miguel Cabrera. Giolito struck out nine over seven innings, but he and the Sox couldn’t overcome the homers.

“The ball flies a bit in warm weather and we have the crazy wind here but the homers today were, I’m facing big league hitters but I need to make better pitches in those situations,” Giolito said. “Three not well-executed pitches that led to three home runs in the loss.”

But Giolito’s outing, the Sox’ hitting against Skubal or even the flashy City Connect uniforms weren’t the main talking point.

“I felt good about sending (Moncada),” La Russa said. “Yaz had been tough all day long. I haven’t seen the pitch, so I don’t know. And I felt really good about bunting them over (in the sixth).”

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