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 Cashner threw 33 pitches and gave up two runs in a bumpy first
inning. But he shook off the rough start to deliver five shutout
innings in a 5-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs.
"I think today I finally settled down after the first and second
inning and really started making pitches," Cashner said. "After the
first inning I was just focusing on getting quick outs and trying to
stick around."
Cashner, who spent two seasons with the Cubs before joining the
Padres in 2012, improved to 1-2 as San Diego took two out of three
in the series.
"They stressed our starter early, his pitch count was way up,"
Padres manager Bud Black said. "I was really proud of Cash, the way
he hung in there and gave us six innings on a game were we really
needed length from a starter."
Left fielder Will Venable's two-out single in the sixth scored right
fielder Matt Kemp with a go-ahead run, breaking a 2-2 tie.
Cubs' left-handed starter Jon Lester (0-2) suffered his first loss
since a 3-0 Cubs Opening Night setback to the Cardinals.
The Cubs started fast with a pair of first inning runs.
Right fielder Jorge Soler drove in lead-off batter Dexter Fowler
with a base hit to center for his ninth RBI of the season. Soler
then came home on left fielder Chris Coghlan's single to right, the
500th hit of his seven-season career.
Black was ejected after leaving the dugout to argue balls and
strikes.
"The bench was vocal, and so was I," Black said.
Shortly after, third baseman Will Middlebrooks evened the score with
his third home run of the season with none out in the second. His
drive off Lester to the empty left field bleachers brought home
catcher Derek Norris to force a 2-2 tie.
Lester left the game with runners on first and second and one out in
the sixth. Right-hander Brian Schlitter then surrendered a single to
Venable that scored Kemp with the go-ahead run.
Schlitter struck out shortstop Clint Barmes to end the inning.
Lester gave up six hits, three earned runs and walked two while
striking out three.
"He's getting better, he's getting a little sharper on everything,"
Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "You could see he was frustrated on
certain pitches today, but I thought this one or the next one you're
going to see him really getting back to normal."
Cashner departed with a 3-2 lead after six innings. He allowed two
runs (none earned) on five hits, walked two and struck out five.
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First baseman Yangervis Solarte made it 5-2 in the seventh with a
one-out homer to the right field corner off Cubs right-handed
reliever Jason Motte. The homer, Solarte's first of the season, also
brought home center fielder Wil Myers.
The Cubs had runners on first and second with two out in the ninth
off Padres right-handed reliever Joaquin Benoit, who struck out
Soler -- the potential tying run -- to end the game and earn his
first save."We've been playing hard, nine innings every game," Maddon said. "I
really appreciate that and gave ourselves that opportunity."
Middlebrooks and second baseman Jedd Gyorko each had two hits for
the Padres.
Sunday's game started with hazy sunshine but quickly clouded over as
forecasts called for potentially heavy rainfall later in the
afternoon on a getaway day for both teams.
Rain held off until the bottom of the eighth inning but play
continued.
NOTES: The Padres return play against NL West foes on Monday,
opening a three-game series at Colorado. Seventeen of San Diego's
first 20 games are against division opponents, with the Cubs series
the lone exception. ... Padres RHP long reliever Odrisamer Despaigne
(1-0, 0.77 ERA) gets the opening start against the Rockies. He's
filling in for RHP Ian Kennedy, who's on the disabled list with a
strained left hamstring. ... Kennedy makes a minor league rehab
start in Arizona on Monday and is expected to be activated next week
and step back in the starting rotation. ... LF Chris Coghlan's RBI
single that scored RF Jorge Soler in the first inning was the 500th
hit of his career. ... LHP Jon Lester's put out throw to 1B Anthony
Rizzo in the second inning on SS Clint Barne's grounder came
complete with Lester's glove. Rizzo dropped the glove but held onto
the ball for an out. ... RHP Gonzalez Germen was called up from
Triple-A Iowa on Sunday after four scoreless appearances, going 2-0
with five strikeouts. ... OF Matt Szczur was optioned to Triple-A
Iowa after batting just .200 in eight games. ... RHP Jake Arrieta
(1-1, 1.98 ERA) makes his 100th career start on Monday as the Cubs
open a four-game series at Pittsburgh.
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