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 The Padres jumped to an early lead and took advantage of shaky
Chicago Cubs pitching with a nine-run sixth on the way to a 13-3
victory.
"Since the break you've seen us score a little bit more runs and
some guys are starting to climb a lift bit with their averages,"
said manager Bud Black after the Padres (45-56) pounded out 14 hits
against six Cubs pitchers. "All in all, a very good offensive night
for a number of players, everyone contributed."
The win was the second straight and gave the Padres two-of-three in
series and four wins in seven meetings with the Cubs (41-59) this
season.
San Diego right-hander Tyson Ross (9-10) won his second straight,
giving up one earned run on five hits while he walked one and struck
out a career-high 11.
"The fastball-slider combination was there and it's devastating,"
Black said. "He threw some fastballs up by some guys, he threw some
fastballs on the inside corner to some lefties that had some
comeback action for a called third strike. Good stuff."
Right fielder Seth Smith was 3-for-4 with two runs, center fielder
Will Venable was 3-for-5 with two RBIs while catcher Rene Rivera
went 3-for-5 with two runs and three RBIs.
 Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro was 2-for-3 and recorded his 800th
career hit in the eighth.
Chicago pitching collapsed in the sixth inning as San Diego sent 15
batters to the plate and put the game out of reach.
"I hit twice in that inning and we scored nine runs, it was
awesome," said Rivera. "You could see everybody in the dugout was
cheering each other and supporting each other. It was awesome, good
times."
Cubs right-handed starter Edwin Jackson (5-11) trailed 3-1 when he
left the game with right hand cramping after facing two batters in
the sixth.
"It was a little frustrating when you go from feeling pretty good
and feeling like you could go deep in a game and then all of a
sudden you can't throw a strike," Jackson said. "'It was one of
those things when something can go wrong it does."
Right-handed reliever Brian Schlitter entered and the roof caved in
as the Padres ultimately sent 15 batters to the plate.
Schlitter loaded the bases and gave up three runs with none out. The
big blow -- a two-RBI single by third baseman Chris Nelson -- gave
the Padres a 6-1 lead.
He again loaded the bases when he hit Ross with a pitch and two more
runs came home on shortstop Alexi Amarista's single up the middle
for an 8-1 lead.
The bases were loaded again when Schlitter was pulled for
left-hander Wesley Wright, still with none out.
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Wright didn't fare much better, giving up four more runs -- three
the responsibility of Schlitter -- before Ross grounded to second to
end the inning.
"We tried everything we could to kind of minimize the damage but it
ended up escalating," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said. "It seemed
like no matter who we used today, it kept getting away and it kind
of steamrolled."
Jackson was eventually credited with giving up four runs on seven
hits. Jackson walked one and struck out four.
The Cubs scored two runs in the eighth to narrow the margin as they
lost their second straight and 13th in 16 games.
The Padres scored twice in the first with two outs. Right fielder
Seth Smith singled to left and came home on first baseman Yasmani
Grandal's triple to right. Grandal scored on Venable's RBI base hit
to center.
The Cubs got a run in the fourth, as third baseman Luis Valbuena
singled to right to score first baseman Anthony Rizzo with one out.
The Padres promptly replied, as Rivera clubbed his seventh home run
of the season, a solo shot, with no outs in the fifth.
NOTES: RHP Jesse Hahn (5-2, 2.21 ERA) fills out the blank spot in
the Padres' rotation as he takes the mound in Friday's opener of a
weekend series at Atlanta. LHP Alex Wood (7-7, 3.24 ERA) starts for
the Braves. ... San Diego RHP Odrisamer Despaigne (2-1, 1.31 ERA)
gets an extra day off after throwing 120 pitches Sunday against the
Mets in a no-hit bid broken up after 7 2/3 innings. He will pitch
Saturday. ... Before Thursday, Padres pitchers allowed three earned
runs or fewer in 25 of their past 27 games since July 21, posting a
major-league-best 2.18 ERA in that span. ... Cubs pitchers went
three consecutive games without giving up a home run entering
Thursday. RHP Jake Arrieta has a 41-inning stretch without allowing
a home run. He last allowed a long ball June 18 in Miami. ... Cubs
LHP Travis Wood (7-9, 5.12 ERA) faces St. Louis Cardinals RHP Joe
Kelley (2-1, 2.84 ERA) Friday in the opener of a weekend series at
Wrigley Field.
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