Cubs' Lester beats Padres for 14th win
SAN DIEGO -- Left-handed starter Jon Lester took a shutout into the seventh inning Monday night and Kris Bryant, Addison Russell and Jason Heyward supplied the power as the Chicago Cubs rebounded from a series loss in Colorado to defeat the San Diego Padres 5-1 in the opener of a three-game series at Petco Park.
The win was the Cubs' 20th in their last 25 games and improved their major-league-best record to 79-45.
Lester improved to 14-4 with his second win over the Padres this season. He held the Padres scoreless on three hits over six innings before giving up two straight hits opening the seventh that resulted in the Padres' run. Lester's official line was one run allowed on five hits and two walks with eight strikeouts over six-plus innings.
In addition to the three homers, former Padre Anthony Rizzo had a four-hit game for the Cubs.
The Cubs teed off on former teammate and Padres starter and loser Edwin Jackson (3-4) for three home runs and five runs in five innings.
Shortstop Russell homered in the second for the game's first run, driving a 1-1 offering from Jackson 396 feet into the stands in left-center. Russell also drove in the Cubs' second run an inning later with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly that scored Dexter Fowler, who had walked to lead off the inning.
San Diego got a double dose of distasteful "home" cooking in the top of the fifth.
Bryant, who attended the University of San Diego, opened the inning with his 32nd home run of the season -- a 394-foot drive into the same second earlier penetrated by Russell.
Rizzo, who was traded by the Padres to the Cubs in 2012 for since-departed pitcher Andrew Cashner, followed with a double rocketed to left. Jackson retired the next two hitters. But slumping Heyward hit a 365-foot drive to right that just eluded the glove of right fielder Patrick Kivlehan for a two-run homer. The ball landed on top of the wall just beyond Kivlehan's glove.
Jackson departed after five innings, allowing five runs on seven hits and four walks.
Meanwhile, knowing that they might not get a lot of hits off Lester, the Padres tried to produce offense with their running game. That didn't work, either.
Travis Jankowski singled to open the game to reach base in a 21st straight game. He stole second, but was out trying to steal third with one out. Two innings later, Wil Myers was also thrown out trying to steal third.
The Padres' first real threat against Lester came in the sixth when Brett Wallace reached third on a single to right and a two-base error by Heyward. But Lester struck out Jankowski and Myers around a walk to Alexei Ramirez.
When Alex Dickerson and Christian Bethancourt opened the seventh with back-to-back singles, Lester departed in favor of right-handed reliever Justin Grimm.
The Padres got on the board after both runners moved up on a grounder to third by Kivlehan.
Grimm's strike three pitch to pinch-hitter Ryan Schimpf bounced away from catcher David Ross, allowing Schimpf to reach first and Dickerson to score from third, ending the shutout bid. Grimm then struck out Luis Sardinas and Wallace to end the rally.
NOTES: The Cubs are paying roughly $12 1/2 million of Padres RHP Edwin Jackson's $13 salary. Jackson started against the Cubs on Monday night. ... Jason Hayward returned to right field for the Cubs on Monday after resting his .225 average the previous four games. ... The Padres learned Monday of the passing of Dr. Steve Arlin, 70, a member of the original 1969 Padres. In less than a month in 1972, Arlin pitched the third one-hitter in Padres history on June 23 and then came within an out of pitching a no-hitter on July 18. ... The Padres promoted INF Luis Sardinas from Triple-A El Paso and placed OF Jabari Blash on the 15-day disabled list with a jammed middle finger on his left hand.