The New York Giants have started the interview process for their head coaching job by starting with the man who ran the team for the final month of a disastrous season.

Interim coach Steve Spagnuolo was interviewed by new general manager Dave Gettleman Isaac Yiadom Color Rush Jersey , co-owner John Mara and assistant general manager Kevin Abrams Wednesday, three days after the Giants (3-13) ended the season with an 18-10 win over Washington.

Co-owner Steve Tisch will meet with the candidates later in the process.

Spagnuolo posted a 1-3 record after being promoted from defensive coordinator to replace the fired Ben McAdoo on Dec. 4. He has head coaching experience, having guided the St. Louis Rams from 2009-11.

The likable Spagnuolo, who was promised an interview after being the interim coach, has had two tours as Giants defensive coordinator. He held the position in 2007-08 and helped the franchise win a Super Bowl. He returned in 2015 working the first year under Tom Coughlin and being retained by McAdoo.

Spagnuolo also interviewed for the Giants head coaching job when Coughlin was fired. The team decided to go with McAdoo, their offensive coordinator.

Spagnuolo also worked for Philadelphia, New Orleans and Baltimore.

This will be a busy week for the Giants. There are plans to interview Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, Patriots coordinators Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia Josey Jewell Color Rush Jersey , Broncos assistant head coach/running backs coach Eric Studesville and Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.

They have asked the Panthers for permission to talk with defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, but that cannot happen until Carolina finishes with the playoffs.

Minnesota, New England and Philadelphia have first-round byes this week, while Studesville can talk because Denver did not make the playoffs.

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For the Chicago Cubs, the last few days have felt like Christmas in July.

The team has won five games in a row and will try to stretch it to six on Wednesday afternoon in a Fourth of July matinee.

“Everything is believable,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon told reporters when asked about his team’s recent hot streak. “We believe in everything right now. Santa Claus is absolutely true.

“When you get to that point and you get that kind of confidence, you don’t want to do anything to nick it.”

Chicago (48-35) has climbed 13 games above .500 to match its high-water mark. The Cubs have a chance to set a new high when they host the Detroit Tigers (38-49) in the finale of a two-game series at Wrigley Field.

All of the Cubs’ five wins during the streak have been in come-from-behind fashion.

“One of our concepts is to score first,” Maddon said. “One of our concepts is to win the inning. But I think this is maybe the residue of our starting pitching not being what it probably is. We’ve given up more runs early from our starters that we didn’t anticipate happening.

“But it’s a tightly knit group. They’re there to pick everybody else up. So DaeSean Hamilton Color Rush Jersey , OK, they’ve scored a couple runs. There’s no quit. The chatter in the dugout is great, all that stuff is outstanding. I just think that the come-from-behind component right now is based on our starters not pitching to their capabilities yet.”

That said, the Cubs will look for a solid start from left-hander Jose Quintana (6-6, 4.31 ERA) in his 17th start of the season. The 29-year-old has allowed three earned runs or fewer in nine of his past 12 starts.

In 18 career starts against the Tigers, Quintana is 5-5 with a 4.37 ERA. The Colombia native has walked 26 and struck out 82 in 111 1/3 innings.

The Tigers will counter with veteran left-hander Francisco Liriano (3-4, 3.99 ERA), who is scheduled to make his 13th start of the season. The burly southpaw carries a career record of 105-103 with a 4.14 ERA in 335 career games.

More than a few teams could be scouting the 34-year-old Liriano as the trade deadline approaches. He is coming off a quality start against the Toronto Blue Jays but has not logged a victory since April 17 against the Baltimore Orioles.

In 14 career starts against the Cubs Sylvester Williams Color Rush Jersey , Liriano is 5-4 with a 3.27 ERA. He most recently faced the club in 2016, when he posted an 0-2 record with a 7.63 ERA in three starts with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Toronto Blue Jays.

The Tigers could turn to a six-man rotation in the next couple weeks, which is fine with Liriano.

“I think that would work,” Liriano said recently to mlive.com. “It wouldn’t bother me at all. I don’t know about any other guys. (Blaine) Hardy has been doing a great job, so it’s hard to put him in the bullpen with the way he’s throwing the ball right now. I think that’s a great idea.”

Injured Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant (shoulder) is not expected to play Wednesday. He is hitting .280 with nine home runs and 36 RBIs in 66 games this season.