Stults, 4 relievers lift Padres to win over Cubs

[August 07, 2012]  SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Eric Stults and four relievers combined on a five-hitter, leading the San Diego Padres to a 2-0 win over the slumping Chicago Cubs on Monday night.

Stults (2-2) allowed five hits as he pitched 5 1-3 innings in his first start since June 3. He struck out five, walked two and had a wild pitch.

Yonder Alonso and Everth Cabrera each drove in a run and the Padres won for just the fourth time in 10 games. Chicago lost its sixth straight.

Brad Brach, Dale Thayer, Luke Gregerson and Huston Street combined for 3 2-3 innings of no-hit relief, finished San Diego's seventh shutout.

Street pitched the ninth for his 19th save.

Carlos Quentin reached on a one-out double in the fourth inning and scored on Alonso's single. After Cameron Maybin followed with a double, Alonso scored when Cabrera's soft liner deflected off the glove of Cubs second baseman Darwin Barney for an infield single.

Chicago was not able to take advantage of the few scoring chances it had, going 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position and stranding seven runners overall.

Travis Wood (4-8) allowed two runs on five hits over six innings. The lefty struck out three and walked three with a wild pitch.

The Cubs' two prized prospects -- Brett Jackson and Josh Vitters -- both started and had tough nights.

Jackson, who got two hits in his major league debut Sunday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, struck out four times. Vitters, who also debuted Sunday as a pinch hitter, was 0 for 4, including a groundout to end the sixth inning with runners at second and third.

Since his last start, Stults spent time on the disabled list with a strained left lat and made his last four appearances out of the bullpen. He was inserted into the rotation after Kip Wells was designated for assignment on Friday.

NOTES: Cubs RHP Matt Garza (right elbow stress) was placed on the 15-day DL and will be out "indefinitely," according to GM Jed Hoyer. . San Diego has won eight times in its last 10 home games. . Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo made his return to San Diego for the first time since the Padres dealt him to Chicago for RHP Andrew Cashner in a four-player deal in January. Rizzo, who went 0 for 4, was the centerpiece for San Diego in the four-player deal when he was acquired from Boston for 1B Adrian Gonzalez before the 2011 season. But after his highly anticipated arrival in San Diego in June 2011, the lefty hit just .141 with one home run and nine RBIs in 128 at-bats. Asked before the game if spacious Petco Park had anything to do with his poor offensive showing, Rizzo said, "The ballpark could have been a T-ball field and I wouldn't have hit the ball. I just wasn't hitting the ball." . Cubs LHP Brooks Raley will make his major league debut on Tuesday night against LHP Ross Ohlendorf (3-2, 6.27 ERA).

[Associated Press]

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