The Sports Xchange
Jun 20, 2017
CHICAGO -- Anthony Rizzo's leadoff homer provided the only run needed while four Chicago Cubs pitchers combined to shut out the San Diego Padres on the way to a 4-0 victory on Tuesday.
Cubs left-hander Mike Montgomery (1-3) allowed three hits and struck out four over six shutout innings as the Cubs (36-34) won their third straight.
Right hander Jhoulys Chacin (6-6) also worked six innings and saw a personal two-game winning streak snapped as the Padres (28-44) dropped their third straight.
The Cubs tried to add insurance runs in the sixth, loading the bases with one out. But Chacin worked out of the threat, including an inning-ending ground out to second by pinch hitter Tommy La Stella.
For the game, Chacin gave up two runs on five hits, walked three, struck out six and hit two batters.
San Diego threatened in the seventh with two runners on and two outs, but reliever Carl Edwards Jr. struck out pinch hitter Matt Szczur to end the inning. Cubs reliever Pedro Strop escaped a similar jam in the eighth to preserve the shutout.
The Cubs added two runs in the eighth as Ian Happ led off with a solo homer -- his ninth of the season. Javier Baez singled to deep center, advanced to third on Franchy Cordero's error and scored as pinch-hitter Albert Almora doubled to center.
Closer Wade Davis worked a one-two-three scoreless ninth.
Rizzo homered to center in his opening at-bat for a 1-0 Cubs lead. It was the third time in seven games he clubbed a home run from the lead-off spot. It was his team-leading 17th homer of the season and the 150th of his Cubs career.
In the fourth, Addison Russell bounced a one-out single past a diving Padres shortstop Cordoba to score Kris Bryant, who had reached base by being hit by a pitch before stealing second base.
Rizzo learned before the game that he will not be fined or suspended in the wake of a Monday home plate collision with Padres catcher Austin Hedges. There was no apparent San Diego retaliation for the incident, at least through Rizzo's first three at-bats.
Hedges sat out Tuesday after suffering a thigh bruise but could return to action as soon as Wednesday.
NOTES: Monday's leadoff home run by OF Jose Pirela was the Padres' sixth of the season, first in the NL and tied for second in the big leagues. ... Padres 2B Yangervis Solarte was in Tuesday's starting lineup but never took the field after suffering a strained left oblique and was replaced by Chase d'Arnaud. ... The Padres send RHP Miguel Diaz (1-1, 7.36 ERA) out for his third career start on Wednesday, facing Cubs RHP Eddie Butler (3-2, 4.41 ERA). ... Cubs OF Jon Jay continued to rank among leading NL pinch hitters, third with a .385 average. ... Chicago's brief three-game home stand this week interrupts a stretch of 17 of 20 games on the road through July 2. ... Cubs 3B Kris Bryant holds a substantial 300,000-vote lead for starting NL All-Star third baseman in the latest voting, but teammate Anthony Rizzo still trails the Nationals' Ryan Zimmerman by more than 150,000 votes for the first base starting nod.