Cubs Hold Off Padres, 3-2
CHICAGO (AP) — Willson Contreras hit a tying home run, Javier Baez scored the winning run on an error and Wade Davis worked out of a ninth-inning jam to lead the Chicago Cubs past the San Diego Padres, 3-2, on Monday night.
Anthony Rizzo thrived in the leadoff spot again, extending his career-high hitting streak to 13 games by going 2 for 3 with an RBI as Chicago won its second straight to improve to 35-34.
Jose Pirela and Yangervis Solarte each had a solo homer for the Padres, although Pirela's error allowed the winning run to score.
Hector Rondon (2-1) pitched a scoreless inning for the win. Davis had runners on second and third with one out, but struck out Wil Myers and got Hunter Renfroe to ground out for his 14th save in 14 chances.
Kirby Yates (1-1) allowed one unearned run to get the loss.
Matt Szczur, claimed off waivers by the Padres from the Cubs last month, went 0 for 2 with a walk and a hit by pitch in his return to Wrigley Field. He also threw out a runner at the plate.
Rizzo has been drawing the attention since moving to the leadoff spot last week, but Pirela stole the spotlight briefly by leading off the game with a homer that landed above the restaurant in the batter's eye in center — a shot estimated at 441 feet.
Rizzo had a bunt base hit down the third base line to improve to 5 for 5 with a walk in the first at-bat of the six games he's led off.
The Padres made it 2-0 in the third on Solarte's homer. The Cubs got a run back in the bottom of the inning on Rizzo's sacrifice fly.
Rizzo then led off the sixth with a triple. After Ian Happ struck out, Kris Bryant hit a liner to shallow center. Szczur made a running catch and fired home to nap Rizzo for the inning-ending double play — the fourth San Diego double play to that point behind starter Clayton Richard.
The Padres had a chance to tack on runs in the seventh, but left the bases loaded against Rondon.
Contreras led off the bottom of the inning with an opposite-field homer against Richard — on a 1-2 — for a tie at 2. Richard then retired pinch hitter Tommy La Stella, but was pulled in favor of Yates despite having thrown just 87 pitches.
Baez, the first batter Yates faced, singled and Albert Almora Jr. followed with a double toward the left-field line. Pirela fielded it on a hop but dropped the ball for an error, allowing Baez to score the go-ahead run.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Padres: C Austin Hedges left the game with a bruised right thigh following a collision with Rizzo on the play at the plate in the sixth.
Cubs: SS Addison Russell (sore right ankle) and OF Jason Heyward (left hand abrasion) didn't start. Russell, though, entered in a double switch at the start of the seventh. . 2B Ben Zobrist (left wrist) is eligible to come off the 10-day DL on Friday, but is uncertain if he'll be ready. "I'll probably see how it feels on Wednesday," Zobrist said. ... LF Kyle Schwarber left the game after fouling a ball off his right ankle. X-rays were negative.
UP NEXT
Cubs LHP Mike Montgomery (0-3, 2.56 ERA) goes in the middle game of the series and will face Padres RHP Jhoulys Chacin (6-5, 5.10).
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