Cubs smother Padres to take series

[April 28, 2023]  Eric Hosmer and Nelson Velazquez hit back-to-back home runs, and five pitchers held visiting San Diego to six hits as the Chicago Cubs defeated the Padres 5-2 in the rubber match of a three-game series on Thursday.
 
 Padres starter Seth Lugo had a 1-0 lead and retired the first two Cubs in the second inning when Hosmer lined a full-count fastball 414 feet to center. Velazquez then hit the second pitch he saw from Lugo 404 feet into the seats in left center.

Apr 27, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (7) runs the bases after hitting a home run against the San Diego Padres during the seventh inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

It was the second homer for both Hosmer and Velazquez.

The Cubs scored a third run in the inning.

After Lugo hit Nick Madrigal with a pitch, Tucker Barnhart hit a high fly to center that landed just in front of Trent Grisham when the Padres center fielder lost the ball in the sun for a single.

The Padres had taken a 1-0 lead when Manny Machado hit his second homer of the season off Cubs starter Hayden Wesneski in the top of the second.

Wesneski (2-1) held the Padres to that run on four hits and a walk with three strikeouts over five innings to earn the win, lowering his ERA by almost a full run to 5.24. Brad Boxberger, who turned a comebacker into a double play, got his second save.

Lugo (2-2) gave up four runs on seven hits with three strikeouts in five innings to get charged with the loss.

The Cubs extended their lead to 5-1 with single runs in the fifth and seventh. Three straight singles by Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson and Ian Happ made it 4-1 in the fifth. Swanson hit his first homer of the season off Tim Hill for the Cubs' final run.

The Padres scored their second run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Matt Carpenter.

--Field Level Media

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