San Diego @ Chicago preview

San Diego at Chi. Cubs

Last Meeting ( May 10, 2016 ) San Diego 7, Chi. Cubs 8

The Chicago Cubs have rolled to eight straight victories to continue their torrid start to the season, and they’ll have a chance to run the streak to double digits with a doubleheader against the visiting San Diego Padres on Wednesday. The Cubs extended their best start in more than a century with an 8-7 win in the series opener and are 12-3 at Wrigley Field, where they’ve won eight of their last nine games.

The Cubs own the best record in the majors at 25-6, their best start since the 1907 World Series champions had the same mark through 31 games. It’s the best start by any team since the 1984 Detroit Tigers – another World Series champion – won 26 of their first 31 contests. Red-hot Ben Zobrist fueled the latest victory, going 4-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and scoring three times Tuesday to improve to 13-for-29 with four homers and 17 RBIs during an eight-game hitting streak. The last-place Padres’ last 10 games have been decided by three runs or fewer with four one-run games during that stretch.

TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, FSN San Diego, CSN Chicago

PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres RH Colin Rea (3-1, 3.82 ERA) vs. Cubs RH Kyle Hendricks (2-2, 3.10)

Rea took a no-hitter to the seventh inning in a win over the New York Mets on Tuesday, allowing one run and three hits over eight innings for his second straight quality start. The 25-year-old hasn’t allowed more than three runs in any outing since his first start of the season April 8, when he gave up five in 3 1/3 innings at Colorado. An Iowa native, Rea has never faced the Cubs.

Hendricks has posted quality starts in three of his five outings this season and tossed six scoreless frames last time out against Washington. The 26-year-old isn’t giving up many free bases – he has walked only six in 29 innings – and has surrendered just one homer. Hendricks is 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA in three starts against the Padres.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cubs starting pitchers have gone at least five innings in 39 consecutive regular-season games dating to Sept. 27 of last season, the club’s longest streak since a 41-game stretch from 1926-27.

2. Padres RF Matt Kemp entered the series with a .610 slugging percentage at Wrigley Field – the fourth-highest among active players with at least 100 plate appearances there – but was 0-for-5 with two strikeouts Tuesday.

3. Chicago 1B Anthony Rizzo, a former Padres prospect, has reached base safely in 22 straight games, the longest active streak in the National League.

PREDICTION: Cubs 4, Padres 3