Worth the wait

Giants 7, Cubs 6

Baseball's leisurely pace is the biggest criticism against the sport. The three-plus hours it takes to navigate a Tuesday night against the Rockies. The six-month slog of a 72-90 season.

But baseball's biggest flaw doubles as its best attribute. Because the thrills are that much bigger when you wait for them. Like a six-game winning streak in September that carries you into the playoffs. Or like Monday night, when two hours and 45 minutes of slop gets saved by a three-run homer in the ninth.

Thairo Estrada flipped an excruciating loss into a triumphant win. And no matter where you sit in the standings or how you feel about a team, that's the kind of thrill worth waiting for.

Up next: Logan Webb (6-5, 3.02 ERA) and Justin Steele (0-3, 3.22 ERA) square off in Game 2 of this series, first pitch at 5:05 p.m.