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CHICAGO - Jake Peavy is showing signs of getting back on track, and his timing couldnt be better for the San Francisco Giants. The 33-year-old right-hander pitched seven solid innings in his fifth start with San Francisco, and the Giants rolled past the Chicago Cubs 8-3 on Wednesday, hours after they won a protest regarding a rain-shortened loss from the night before. Peavy (2-3) has won two straight after losing his first three starts with San Francisco following a July 26 trade from Boston where he was 1-9. "I never gave up hope or thought I wasnt going to win," Peavy said. "I didnt really do anything different tonight other than just the team scored and made my job a whole lot easier. "Weve got five or six more starts and Ive got to try to find a way to win those with us trying to get in (the playoffs)." Peavy allowed 10 hits, struck out eight and walked none. Chris Valaikas two-run homer in the second inning accounted for the only runs against him. Hunter Pence and Andrew Susac homered, and Travis Ishikawa drove in three runs with pair of doubles among three hits to help the Giants strengthen their hold on an NL wild card spot. The Cubs Luis Valbuena added a solo homer and a triple in going 3 for 4. Struggling starter Edwin Jackson (6-14) was hit hard in just 2 2-3 innings, his shortest outing of the season. He allowed seven runs, eight hits and two walks. Jackson has lost seven of eight decisions. "Its just terrible," Jackson said. "Theres no excuse for it, pretty much. Tonight I didnt help myself. I didnt help my team." Before the game, the Giants won their protest filed with Major League Baseball over Tuesday nights rain-shortened loss that was called in the fifth inning. A problem in getting the tarp onto the field caused unplayable conditions, and the game was ruled a 2-0 Cubs win after a delay of over four hours. The suspended game will be completed on Thursday before the regularly scheduled game between the teams. "We needed Jake to get somewhat deep in the game," manager Bruce Bochy said. "A long day tomorrow. We have a lot of innings to play." MLB ruled the tarp hadnt been properly put away after its previous use, and therefore there was a "malfunction of a mechanical field device under control of the home club." MLB said this was the first successful protest since 1986. On Wednesday, the Giants jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning as five of their first six batters reached base. Ishikawa drove in two runs with his first double to cap the outburst. Ishikawa doubled in another run in the third and scored on Susacs first career homer as San Francisco opened a 7-2 lead. Pence led off the fourth against Carlos Villenueva with his 17th homer of this season to make it 8-2. UP NEXT The suspended game will resume on Thursday with the Cubs batting in the bottom of the 5th inning and leading 2-0. San Franciscos Yesmeiro Petit (3-3, 3.89) and Chicagos Jacob Turner (4-7, 5.80) will step in to start that one. In the regularly scheduled game, Giants LHP Madison Bumgarner (13-9, 3.14) is slated to face Cubs LHP Travis Wood (7-10, 4.86). TRAINERS ROOM Giants: C Buster Posey was out of the lineup because of soreness in his left hip. Bochy likened it to an unscheduled day off and expected Posey to be back behind the plate on Thursday. Posey is batting .278 with 13 home runs. He was replaced by Susac. Cubs: SS Starlin Castro was a last-minute scratch from the lineup due to a family emergency. The team didnt provide details or say how long he would be out, but said it was likely hed be placed on the bereavement list. LHP Felix Doubront, placed on the DL with a left calf strain on Aug. 1, threw on the side on Wednesday. He is expected to make another rehab start at Double-A Tennessee on Sunday or Monday. Manager Rick Renteria said Doubront, acquired from Boston on July 30, is in line to be recalled and start on Aug. 30 when the Cubs play a doubleheader at St. Louis. BALLPARK WATER-GATE The infield was still damp and the areas under the stands at century-old Wrigley Field reeked of mould even more than usual following Tuesdays nights downpour that led to the game being called at 1:16 a.m. The storm apparently was very localized. Cubs GM Jed Hoyer said it didnt rain at his house, some 12 blocks from the ballpark. Terrence Ross Jersey .C. -- Marcus Paige and his North Carolina teammates have endured so many wild swings -- big wins, surprising losses, NCAA drama -- that no one can blame their Hall of Fame coach for wondering whats next. Aaron Gordon Jersey . Globo TV and other news outlets said early Monday that Scolari will not remain as coach after the national teams failure to win the World Cup at home. http://www.magicauthentic.com/ . In the opening game of his fourth-round match at the U.S. Open, the owner of 17 major titles got passed at the net twice, sailed a backhand long, then missed two forehands to get broken. Penny Hardaway Jersey . The NFL announced Friday that the Texans sixth-year veteran offensive lineman will replace Philadelphia Eagles tackle Jason Peters in the Jan. Nikola Vucevic Jersey . Dirk Nowitzki scored 25 points, Shawn Marion had 22 and the Mavericks beat undermanned Philadelphia 124-112 Friday night, handing the 76ers their 10th straight loss.CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Jimmie Johnson was stunned by the proposed changes to the championship format he heard in a phone call from NASCAR chairman Brian France two weeks ago. Not because the six-time champion worried the radical overhaul was designed to stop his dominance on the Sprint Cup Series. Instead, France went over a proposal that Johnson had never heard before in multiple discussions wwith NASCAR executives.dddddddddddd NASCAR will officially announce its Chase for the Sprint Cup championship format on Thursday. All signs point to a 16-driver field whittled down through eliminations to four drivers and a winner-take-all season finale. Johnson says he supports the format because NASCAR needed "something big" to re-ignite passion in its fan base. ' ' '