SAN DIEGO (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. homered twice and scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch as the San Diego Padres improved to 11-0 at home by beating the Chicago Cubs 10-4 on Monday night in the opener of a three-game series between National League division leaders.
The Padres have the best record in the majors at 14-3.
Tatis hit a solo homer with two outs in the third inning, scored the tiebreaking run on a wild pitch in a three-run seventh and then hit a two-run shot in the eighth. He has six home runs overall — tying seven other players for the big league lead — and five in his last six games. It was his 12th career multi-homer game.
Luis Arraez also homered in the eighth, his second, to give the Padres their first back-to-back homers this season.
The Cubs took a 3-1 lead in the fourth. Michael Busch hit a two-run homer off Dylan Cease, his fourth, after Justin Turner reached on a fielding error by third baseman Manny Machado. Nico Hoerner and Pete Crow-Armstrong hit consecutive doubles with one out.
Busch’s homer ended a 37-inning scoreless streak by San Diego’s pitching staff, dating to the third inning Wednesday at the Athletics. The Padres shut out the Colorado Rockies in a three-game weekend series.
The Padres tied it in the sixth and then went ahead in the seventh. Tatis drew a leadoff walk, advanced on Arraez’s double and, after Machado was intentionally walked, raced home on a wild pitch by Nate Pearson (0-1) for a 4-3 lead. Gavin Sheets then hit a two-run single.
Adrian Morejon (1-0) got the win.
Key moment
The Padres caught a break in their two-run sixth when Sheets’ pop fly fell between left fielder Ian Happ and shortstop Dansby Swanson with one out.
Key stat
Tatis broke a tie with Adrian Gonzalez and is now second all-time at Petco Park with 67 homers. Machado has 91.
Up next
Cubs LHP Shota Imanaga (2-1, 2.70 ERA) and Padres RHP Randy Vásquez (1-1, 1.72) are scheduled to start Tuesday night.
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