Padres slide past Cubs 4-3
SAN DIEGO - Ian Kennedy pitched six strong innings and the San Diego Padres held on for a 4-3 win over the Cubs on Sunday.
Kennedy (3-6) allowed one run and two hits with six strikeouts. He walked two in earning his first win in five starts. Huston Street got his 14th save in as many chances, although he gave up a two-run homer to Starlin Castro in the ninth inning.
The Cubs, who had four hits, were trying to win their first series since Sept. 9-11 in Cincinnati.
The Padres went ahead, 2-1, in the sixth inning on Carlos Quentin's pinch-hit single off reliever James Russell, after Chase Headley's sacrifice fly tied the game. Two walks by starter Jason Hammel (5-3) helped extend the inning.
For Quentin, it was his third pinch-hit RBI in two games after a two-run, homer in Saturday's loss.
Jedd Gyorko's double drove in Seth Smith and Tyson Ross, who was running for Quentin, for a 4-1 lead. Emilio Bonifacio misplayed Gyorko's ball in center, allowing Ross to score.
A sixth-inning home run by Junior Lake gave the Cubs a brief lead although it took a little while for him to celebrate. Lake's arching drive off a curveball took Smith to the left-field wall, where it appeared that Smith snatched the ball before it reached the seats. Lake showed disgust in thinking he had just missed breaking the scoreless tie and he nearly veered off the base paths.
But second base umpire Greg Gibson gave the home run signal and Lake resumed his trot at third base.
Hammel retired 11 straight before Yonder Alonso lined a single to right in the fifth inning, the Padres' first hit. Alonso stole second and advanced to third on Cameron Maybin's one-out infield single. But Maybin was picked off first by Hammel and Rene Rivera struck out to end the threat.
The Cubs didn't have much luck against Kennedy early. Castro got into scoring position in the second inning after a leadoff single and walk to Luis Valbuena. But Kennedy got the next three batters.
The Cubs' only other baserunner before Lake's home run was a one-out walk to him in the third inning.
Hammel pitched 5 2-3 innings, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks, with five strikeouts.
NOTES: The Padres are encouraged with the progress RHP Andrew Cashner is making with his sore right elbow. Cashner, who is on the DL, will throw again on Monday after playing catch on Saturday. ... LHP Robbie Erlin, on the DL with a sore throwing elbow, is scheduled to throw next weekend ... Quentin is expected to start on Monday against the Diamondbacks. Quentin had missed four games with a groin injury. ... Valbuena's eight-game hitting streak, which tied a career high, was snapped. ... Cubs RHP Jef Samardzija (0-4, 1.96) faces Giants RHP Yusmeiro Petit (3-1, 4.76) on Monday. It will be Samardzija's 200th career game. ... Padres RHP Tyson Ross (5-4, 2.64) goes against Arizona RHP Brandon McCarthy (1-6, 4.67) on Monday.