Rizzo hits 2 homers as Cubs beat Padres 6-0
CHICAGO - Anthony Rizzo hit two home runs and Kyle Hendricks pitched seven innings in his return from the minor leagues on Tuesday night, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 6-0 victory over the San Diego Padres that snapped their five-game losing streak.
Rizzo staked Hendricks to a 2-0 lead in the third inning with a solo homer. Four innings later, rookie Arismendy Alcantara and Rizzo hit back-to-back homers off Blaine Boyer for a 5-0 lead. Rizzo became the first National League player to reach 25 homers this season, his career high. He hit 23 homers in 160 games last season.
Emilio Bonifacio, Welington Castillo and Justin Ruggiano had two hits apiece for the Cubs.
Recalled from Triple-A Iowa earlier Tuesday, Hendricks (1-0) made short work of an anemic Padres lineup that entered the game with a total of 29 home runs and 103 RBIs. In his second start of the season, the right-hander allowed five hits and threw only 83 pitches. He walked three and struck out five.
The Padres had two runners on base in the first, third and fifth innings, but the Cubs turned two of their season-high four double plays to erase the last two threats.
Eric Stults (3-12) took the loss, the ninth in his last 10 decisions. He gave up three runs and six hits and walked three in five innings.
In his first appearance since June 13, when he went on the disabled list because of a strained right oblique, Bonifacio set the tone in the first inning. He led off with a double and later scored on Ruggiano's short fly ball.
NOTES: San Diego rookie 1B Blake Goebbert played his first major league game at Wrigley Field, less than 10 miles from Northwestern, where he was a two-sport star. His family owns a pumpkin patch northwest of Chicago. ... San Diego RHP Odrisamer Despaigne had his next start pushed back one day to Saturday as a precautionary measure. In his last assignment on Sunday, the rookie took a no-hitter into the eighth inning. ... Padres 1B Yonder Alonso (wrist), SS Everth Cabrera (hamstring) and 2B Jedd Gyorko (foot) continued to make progress, but there was no timetable for their returns. ... Chicago LHP Tsuyoshi Wada will be activated and start the second game of the series on Wednesday night. ... General manager Jed Hoyer indicated that Alcantara will continue play regularly down the stretch. Veteran 2B Darwin Barney was designated for assignment before the game. ... The Cubs will play 22 of their next 32 games at home, where their 43 games are the fewest of any major league team to date.