Padres vs. Cubs recap: First time in a long time

The San Diego Padres swept the Chicago Cubs in four games in Chicago.

The pitching from the Padres was solid, but the offense was unstoppable. The Padres scored 41 runs throughout the series, with an average of over 10 runs per game.

The first game in Chicago included a stellar outing from starting pitcher Yu Darvish. He pitched eight innings and only gave up one run. Darvish’s outing was highly efficient, as he had 107 pitches in those eight innings. 

The game was tied 1-1 going into the eighth inning. Third baseman Manny Machado hit a single to right field to drive in a run and break the tie in the top of the eighth inning. After that, first baseman Eric Hosmer hit a two-RBI double to bring the lead to three runs. Closer Taylor Rogers then pitched a perfect ninth inning with two strikeouts to close out the game with a score of 4-1.

The second game was an offensive explosion from the Padres.

The Padres won this game 12-5, despite a rough outing from Sean Manaea. Manaea was only able to get through four innings, and he gave up five runs in those innings. This was an unusually rough outing for Manaea, as he has been solid and reliable for most of the season. 

Luckily for Manaea, the Padres lineup took him off the hook for a loss. Many of the runs came from designated hitter Luke Voit, as he produced five RBIs from two hits. One of these hits was a two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning. Right fielder Nomar Mazara also had a solid game, getting two hits and driving in three runs.

The next game was an even bigger offensive explosion from the Padres lineup. All of the hitters in the starting lineup earned at least one hit and one RBI. The Padres had a total of 21 hits in the game, and they produced 19 runs from those hits. Starting pitcher Ryan Weathers struggled in this one, giving up four runs in 3 ⅔ innings. Fortunately, the bullpen was solid for the rest of the game, only giving up one run throughout the rest of the game.

Voit continued his excellent production, earning three hits and driving in two runs.

Machado also hit well in this game, getting three hits and four RBIs. Other Padres hitters who got three hits were Jurickson Profar, Jake Cronenworth and Jorge Alfaro. The Padres won this game 19-5. 

The next and final game did not result in a large blowout like the previous game. However, it did result in a win to sweep the Cubs. Starting pitcher Joe Musgrove improved his record to 8-0 on the season after a solid outing. Musgrove pitched seven innings and threw nine strikeouts while only giving up two runs. The runs given up did slightly bring up his ERA, but it stands at a solid 1.59 on the season. 

The Padres won this game 6-4. Closer Taylor Rogers earned his 20th save of the season, despite giving up a run. His 20 saves on the season leads the MLB, just above Milwaukee Brewers closer Josh Hader. 

The Padres now have a 41-24 record this season. This record is good for first place in the NL West division, 0.5 games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Padres have won eight out of their last 10 games. This is the first time the Padres have been in first place in the division since 2010.