So for a team like the Giants desperate to fix a collection of flawed swings, it's not the best place to play. And Ryan Dempster is not the best pitcher to face. The right-hander snuck sliders and fastballs past the Giants' struggling lineup for seven innings and the Cubs faithful celebrated a 4-2 victory Monday night.

Ryan Theriot hit a two-run home run in the second inning against Jonathan Sanchez, giving the Cubs a 3-0 lead. And that was a very bad start.

The Giants are not a team built for rallies. They are 10-0 when they score first and 2-12 when they do not.

"When you get down 3-0, that's the last thing we need to be thinking about," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "We got back in the game. We got the tying run up there in the ninth. ? But we know we can't sit on one or two runs. We've got to get this offense going."

The Giants have scored the fewest runs in the major leagues and the problems only seem to be getting worse in May. They are 2-2 in the month but they've scored seven runs and are hitting .195 in four games.

They are getting virtually no production from their outfielders. Aaron Rowand is hitless in his last 17 at-bats. Fred Lewis, who led the NL with a .545 on-base percentage on April 18, now leads the league in strikeouts. Randy Winn's problems are deeper; he has a .152 average over his past 18 games.

Bochy dropped Winn to sixth in Monday's lineup and the manager hinted at more changes today. He'll start first baseman Rich Aurilia over Travis Ishikawa. Juan Uribe likely will start, too, as Bochy feels compelled to rest third baseman Pablo Sandoval who also happens to be the club's only hot hitter.

Nate Schierholtz had another pinch single and it's hard to envision him remaining on the bench much longer.

But a vase of dead flowers turned at any angle is still a vase of dead flowers.

"At this point, you go with what you've got," Bochy said.

At least the Giants send Tim Lincecum to the mound in the hopes of splitting this two-game series. Not even that thought could brighten Bochy's mood.

Sanchez allowed three runs in the first two innings, but the bigger price was paid in pitches thrown. Sanchez needed 51 pitches to hold down the damage while stranding five baserunners. The rocky start ensured that Sanchez wouldn't be able to pitch deep into the game, which is not a good way to begin a seven-game, three-city road trip.

The Cubs scored once and left the bases loaded in the first inning. But Theriot's unlikely home run his third home run in four games did the Giants in.

"I didn't know he was that hot," said Sanchez, who got burned on an inside fastball. "I was comfortable pitching to him."

Perhaps not as comfortable as Dempster. The Giants finally broke through in the sixth after Lewis walked and Edgar Renteria singled. Sandoval grounded a single up the middle to score Lewis and Bengie Molina followed with a potential double-play grounder that the Cubs couldn't turn, allowing Renteria to score.

It was the first time in May that the Giants scored multiple runs in an inning. They had played 33 innings over four games without putting up a crooked number.

Winn drew a two-out walk in the ninth and Aurilia stung a line drive to center field, but Kosuke Fukudome tracked it down to end the game.

Cubs 4, Giants 2 ?Today: in Chicago, 11 a.m. ?TV/Radio: CSN/KNBR (680)