Fernando Tatis Jr. homered twice Monday night and Luis Arraez added three hits, including a solo homer, as the San Diego Padres rallied for a 10-4 win over the visiting Chicago Cubs.
While improving to 11-0 at home this year and winning its 15th straight game at Petco Park dating back to last September, San Diego feasted on the shaky Chicago bullpen. Brad Keller allowed the runner he inherited from Jameson Taillon to score and gave up a run of his own in the sixth to tie the game 3-3 before Nate Pearson (0-1) imploded in the seventh.
Tatis drew a leadoff walk and reached third on Arraez’s double to right. After intentionally walking Manny Machado to fill the bases, Pearson wild-pitched Tatis home and then gave up a two-run single to Gavin Sheets to make it 6-3.
Miguel Amaya doubled home Pete Crow-Armstrong in the top of the eighth to pull the Cubs within 6-4. However, in the bottom of the frame, Eli Morgan coughed up a two-run shot to Tatis and a solo blast to Arraez that sealed the Padres’ fifth straight win. A fielder’s choice grounder by Jose Iglesias off Ethan Roberts capped the four-run outburst.
Neither starter was involved in the decision despite pitching well. Taillon allowed just three hits and two runs in 5 1/3 innings with a walk and four strikeouts. Dylan Cease gave up seven hits and three runs, two earned, over 5 2/3 innings. He walked one and whiffed six.
Tatis initiated scoring in the third by ripping a hanging sweeper from Taillon over the left field wall. That lead didn’t last long as Chicago snapped San Diego’s 37-inning scoreless streak in the fourth. Michael Busch cracked a two-run homer to right, his fourth of the year, and Crow-Armstrong doubled to right to score Nico Hoerner, who had doubled.
Taillon rolled into the sixth with a 3-1 edge but walked Machado after an 11-pitch at-bat. Keller took over and permitted an RBI infield hit by Iglesias, then a tying RBI single by Jason Heyward.
Adrian Morejon (1-0) worked around a leadoff walk in the seventh to garner the win.
Crow-Armstrong and Amaya each had three hits for the Cubs, who had won their previous two games.
