Shawon Dunston made his first Wrigley Field appearance in a visiting uniform Saturday. The longtime Cub shortstop delivered a ninth-inning pinch single, extending his hitting streak to 12 games.
Giants manager Dusty Baker asked Dunston, who has been sidelined with a hamstring injury, if he wanted to risk the streak as a pinch-hitter.
“I want to play,” Dunston said. “I want to play everyday. Who cares about the streak?”
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Dunston received a good cheer from the crowd. He said he saw a sign that read, “Shawon, you’re still a Cub at heart.”
Dunston expects to start Sunday in the series finale.
First at-bat: Brian McRae homered to lead off a game for the fourth time in his career Saturday, all as a Cub. His other three first-inning leadoff homers came last year.
Farm report: Keith Kessinger, son of the former Cub, continued his hot hitting as Triple-A Iowa (9-4) beat Oklahoma City 14-5. Kessinger had three hits, two of them homers. He is 10 for 21 (.476) in his last five games.
Brooks Kieschnick also homered and first baseman Brant Brown homered and doubled to improve to 17 for 31 (.548) over his last seven games.
Dating back: Saturday marked the 80th anniversary of the first National League game played in what is now Wrigley Field. The Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-6 on Vic Saier’s 11th-inning single on April 20, 1916, in the 3-year old facility then known as Weeghman Park. The Federal League’s Chicago Whales played in the park in 1914-15.