Yu Darvish Pitches 5 Scoreless Innings as the Padres Beat the Cubs 6-3

AP

12:14 JST, May 7, 2024

CHICAGO (AP) — Yu Darvish pitched five scoreless innings, Luis Campusano drove in three runs and the San Diego Padres beat the Chicago Cubs 6-3 on Monday night.

Darvish (2-1) allowed three hits, struck out five and walked one in his second straight win. The Japanese right-hander, who played for Chicago for three seasons before he was traded to San Diego in December 2020, also tossed five shutout innings in a 6-4 victory against Cincinnati last week.

Campusano, Xander Bogaerts, Jake Cronenworth and Donovan Solano each had two hits as the Padres won for the fifth time in six games. Robert Suarez got five outs for his 11th save in 11 opportunities.

Christopher Morel and Yan Gomes homered for the Cubs, who dropped to 12-5 at Wrigley Field this season. Mike Tauchman had two hits and scored a run.

Chicago left-hander Justin Steele pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings in his first major league start since he strained his left hamstring on opening day. He allowed three hits while throwing 68 pitches, 43 for strikes.

Steele got a big ovation when he departed, and Richard Lovelady retired Luis Arraez for the final out of the fifth. Manager Craig Counsell then sent Lovelady (0-1) back out for the sixth, and San Diego jumped all over the left-hander.

Singles by Fernando Tatis Jr. and Cronenworth — along with a double steal — set up Jurickson Profar’s two-run single. Solano hit an RBI single off Daniel Palencia, and Campusano’s three-run double lifted the Padres to a 6-0 lead.

Chicago cut its deficit in half on Morel’s two-run shot in the sixth and Gomes’ solo drive in the seventh. But the rally fizzled from there.

The Cubs came up empty after they loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth. Jeremiah Estrada struck out Pete Crow-Armstrong swinging before he was replaced by Suarez, who fanned Gomes and retired Nico Hoerner on a popup to shortstop.

Suarez then worked a perfect ninth. The right-hander has allowed one run and seven hits in 15 1/3 innings this season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: OFs Seiya Suzuki (right oblique strain) and Cody Bellinger (right rib fracture) worked out before the game once again, including batting practice. Counsell said Suzuki is going to need a rehab stint in the minors, but Bellinger could be activated by the team before it begins a six-game trip at Pittsburgh on Friday night. … RHP Kyle Hendricks (low back strain) will make a rehab start for Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday.

UP NEXT

Randy Vásquez and Shota Imanaga take the mound on Tuesday night. Vásquez (0-1, 5.87 ERA) was recalled from Triple-A El Paso when the Padres placed right-hander Joe Musgrove on the 15-day injured list on Sunday. Imanaga (5-0, 0.78 ERA) is going for his fifth consecutive win for the Cubs.