Padres victimized by the long ball against Cubs, dragging out four game slump

CHICAGO - For the ones expecting an abundance of run production were left feeling underwhelmed on Monday following a 3-2 final. 

That said, Tuesday's contest at Wrigley Field, featuring 19 mph winds out to center field and nine home runs (six sailed at least 414 feet or longer), was nothing like the previous day. The potential of immense offensive firepower completely delivered in the Cubs 9-7 win over the San Diego Padres, who are now riding a four-game losing skid. 

"Probably what we expected last night, we got it tonight" Padres manager Craig Stammen said. "Balls were zipping out of there. So it ends up how many other guys you put on base when those home runs are hit, is kind of what the story of the game is." 

Despite matching their opponents 13 hits, it was the same old story for the Padres. The starting pitching continued to be the glaring issue that prevents them from building consistent results and more importantly, winning.  

The first at-bat of the game against left-hander Matthew Boyd was the 17th career lead-off home run for Fernando Tatis Jr. and his fourth of the season, launching over the seats out in left field. 

Even with the Padres scoring the game's first run, the Cubs quickly rattled left-hander JP Sears and rode up his pitch count early on. It took awhile for Sears to heat up, but eventually his flame went out. 

Sears gave up an unearned run during the bottom part of the first inning. Carson Kelly grounded into an RBI single to center that scored Seiya Suzuki, who grounded into a force out but advanced to second base on a throwing error by Tatis Jr. 

He entered the second inning already have thrown 24 pitches, but stepped off the mound by adding 34 more to his total and four additional runs to his line. Dansby Swanson hit a solo home run to center off a four-seam fastball down the middle of the zone. Sears would give up a single and four pitch walk to the next two batters, which set up Alex Bregman to give the Cubs a 5-1 lead following a three-run homer off a cutter, up and in the middle of the plate. 

San Diego responded with a pair of runs in the next inning, leading off with a first pitch ground-rule double by Freddy Fermin and capped off with Manny Machado hitting his 16th home run of the season to cut the deficit to 5-3. 

Sears started to settle down following the second inning and retired seven consecutive hitters. His groove came to an abrupt halt during the fifth after surrendering his third home run to Michael Busch, and his strenuous outing ended soon after a single by Ian Happ. 

Reliever Ron Marinaccio would face Swanson with an inherited runner on first. Five pitches later, Swanson went yard for a second time, sending his 437 ft home run over the bleachers out in left center field that extended the gap to 8-3. 

The offense would start the sixth with two runners on base no outs but ended the inning with no runs after a 6-4-3 double play and a ground out. Over the four game losing streak, they have gone 7-for-35 with runners in scoring position. 

Marinaccio returned in the bottom half of the frame and gave up a second home run to the third batter he faced against Pete Crow-Armstrong.  

Despite trailing by six runs, the Padres made the affair interesting with a four-run eighth inning, featuring a three-run homer by Gavin Sheets, who pinch hit for Jase Bowen in the sixth, and a second long ball by Tatis Jr. 

"The wind was howling," Sheets said. "We knew that no matter what we were going to say in that game and we were still in that game because of the conditions."

With his second home run, Tatis Jr. moved past Phil Nevin for fourth place on the Padres' all-time HR list. For the two ball clubs, it also set a new all-time series high in home runs hit in a game. 

After an impressive return to the Brown and Gold last Wednesday, the looming thought of potentially rising expectations for Sears has hit its floor. Sears went 4 2/3 innings and threw 95 pitches (52 counted for strikes), giving up seven runs (six earned), eight hits, three walks and struck out four.   

"That's the hardest part and when the environment is the way it is, you really have to control counts," Stammen said on Sears' his difficulty locating pitches. "You have to put it in your favor and then be able to make pitches and expand the zone as you go."   

With Tatis and Machado going around the bases tonight, the dynamic pair now have 29 career games where they each hit a home run in the same game, which the most in Padres' history.

The Friars will look to start the month of July by avoiding a sweep to the Cubs. The series finale will have a 11:20 a.m. first pitch and will feature right-handers Walker Buehler (5-3, 3.81 ERA) and Colin Rea (5-5, 4.80 ERA).