Padres 4, Cubs 3
SAN DIEGO -- Catcher Derek Norris' eighth-inning, two-run double led the San Diego Padres to a 4-3 win over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night.
The Padres snapped a three-game losing streak and prevented the Cubs, who gave up three unearned runs, from earning a seventh victory in eight games.
Padres pinch hitter Clint Barmes reached in the eighth when second baseman Addison Russell dropped his pop fly for the Cubs' third error. Abraham Almonte, another pinch hitter, followed with a two-strike bunt single. Barmes reached third on second baseman Cory Spangenberg's sacrifice bunt.
Right-hander Pedro Strop relieved lefty James Russell (0-1), and Norris greeted Strop with his go-ahead hit to right field.
Joaquin Benoit (4-1) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win. Craig Kimbrel earned his 11th save in 12 chances despite allowing a solo homer to Chris Coghlan, the left fielder's second of the night.
Cubs starter Jason Hammel was masterful through seven innings, allowing two runs (both unearned) on three hits in his fifth consecutive quality start. Hammel, who retired the first 12 batters he faced, struck out eight without issuing a walk.
James Shields, in trying to win his sixth straight decision as a Padre, worked seven innings and was charged with two runs on six hits. He struck out 11, walked one and yielded two home runs.
The Padres tied the game, 2-2, in the seventh when center fielder Will Venable's single scored first baseman Yangervis Solarte. The inning began with an error by Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro.
Solarte drove in left fielder Justin Upton with an RBI single in the fifth to slice the Padres' deficit to 2-1. Upton was the first Padre to reach base, and it came on a two-base throwing error by third baseman Kris Bryant.
Hammel set down the first 12 batters he faced as the Padres hit but one ball out of the infield through four innings. That came on Spangenberg's flyout to center in the first.
The Cubs struck for two home runs in the third, both solo shots, for a 2-0 lead. Coghlan hit the inning's first pitch for his fifth homer of the season, with the ball traveling 420 feet. Center fielder Dexter Fowler then redirected a 91 mph Shields fastball for another homer, his fourth.
The home runs were the team-high 13th and 14th allowed by Shields.
NOTES: The Cubs traded C Welington Castillo to the Mariners for RHP Yoervis Medina. ... Cubs LHP Tsuyoshi Wada was activated from the disabled list, and he will start Wednesday against the Padres. ... Chicago called up OFs Junior Lake and Mike Baxter from Triple-A Iowa. RHP Phil Coke was designated for assignment, and RHP Brian Schlitter was optioned to Iowa. ... The Padres put OF Wil Myers (wrist) on the disabled list retroactive to May 11. RHP Cory Mazzoni was summoned from Triple-A El Paso. ... San Diego 1B Yonder Alonso (shoulder) remains without a timetable for his return.