Hedges, Erlin lead Padres past Cubs to stop 7-game slide
CHICAGO — Austin Hedges hit a go-ahead, three-run homer, Robbie Erlin pitched two-hit ball over five innings in a spot start and the San Diego Padres beat the Chicago Cubs 6-1 on Thursday night to end a season-high, sevengame losing streak.
Hedges homered off Jesse Chavez (3-2) in the sixth inning for a 3-1 lead, his third homer in six games and seventh overall. Hedges and Manuel Margot each had three of the Padres’ 15 hits, and Margot, Eric Hosmer and A.J. Ellis drove in runs.
Erlin (2-3) allowed one run, struck out four and walked one in his third start this season and first since May 21. He didn’t allow a runner until Jason Heyward’s infield single with two outs in the fourth.
In his two previous starts, Erlin allowed 11 earned
SDP: 43-68 overall CHI: 62-46 overall
runs in seven innings. He made his big league debut at Wrigley Field on April 30, 2013, and this was his 28th major league start.
Four relievers followed in a three-hitter for the Padres, who have the NL’s worst record at 43-68. Right fielder Hunter Renfroe made a sliding grab on Willson Contreras’ liner for the final out.
Mike Montgomery yielded one run and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings for the Cubs, who began the night one game ahead of secondplace Milwaukee in the NL Central.
Montgomery put the Cubs ahead in the fifth when he hit a comebacker with runners at the corners and one out. Erlin threw to second for a forceout, and shortstop Freddy Galvis made a one-hop throw home trying for a double play. Shane Livensparger ruled Contreras out, but the call was overturned when a video review found Conteras got his right hand on the plate ahead of the tag by Hedges.
Montgomery walked Hosmer in the sixth, Christian Villanueva singled off Chavez to cap an 11-pitch at-bat, and Hedges homered deep to left on the next pitch.
Hosmer hit an RBI single in the seventh off Justin Wilson. Ellis had an RBI double in the eighth against Brian Duensing and scored when Margot grounded into a forceout.