SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Padres hadn’t loss a home game yet on the young season.
Until Tuesday night.
One night after the Cubs’ bullpen couldn’t hold a late lead in a series-opening loss, it kept the Padres’ high-powered lineup at bay long enough to keep the game tied until Nico Hoerner’s triple leading off the 10th inning drove in automatic runner Dansby Swanson with the go-ahead run.
And that held up, too, as the Cubs beat the Padres 2-1 on Tuesday night, handing MLB-best San Diego (14-4) its first loss in 12 home games and evening the three-game series between National League division leaders at a game apiece.
The teams conclude their series and the Cubs (12-8) wrap up their six-game trip to Los Angeles and San Diego on Wednesday afternoon with a 3:10 p.m. first pitch.
On Tuesday, Hoerner’s opposite-field liner to right-center off Yuki Matsui (0-1) in the top of the 10th rolled to the wall. Swanson scampered home and Hoerner slid into third headfirst ahead of the throw from center fielder Jason Heyward.
But the Cubs couldn’t get Hoerner home for an insurance run, so Caleb Thielbar came on for Ryan Pressley to start the bottom of the 10th with the automatic runner on second and just a one-run lead.
The Padres got runners on first and third with two outs in the inning, but Thielbar got three-time batting champion Luis Arraez to fly out to left to get his first save.
Pressley (1-1) earned the win after setting the Padres down in order in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extras. All told, five Cubs relievers combined for five shutout innings, allowing just a hit and a walk.
San Diego slugger Manny Machado homered after two Cubs players dropped pop fouls during a nine-pitch at-bat against starter Shota Imanaga in the fifth for the game’s first run.
Machado fouled off six pitches during his at-bat with two outs, including one down the right-field line that Kyle Tucker dropped and a high pop behind home plate that third baseman Gage Workman dropped. Machado then drove a 92-mph fastball out to left-center for his second homer.
But the Cubs tied it in the top of the sixth on two singles and two sacrifice bunts, with Pete Crow-Armstrong getting an RBI.
Imanaga allowed four hits in five innings. He struck out seven and walked three.
Padres starter Randy Vásquez also went five, allowing one run and seven hits.
Key moment
The Cubs intentionally walked red-hot Fernando Tatis Jr. in the 10th to get to Arraez. Tatis homered twice in the Padres’ 10-4 win on Monday night.
Key stat
It was the fifth time Machado had homered on the ninth pitch or later of an at-bat.
Up next
Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd (1-1, 1.59 ERA) and Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta (2-1, 1.59 ERA) are scheduled to start the series finale Wednesday.
After a day off Thursday, the Cubs return home to host the Arizona Diamondbacks for a weekend series at Wrigley Field, with all three games beginning at 1:20 p.m. That starts an eight-game homestand that will also see the Cubs host the Los Angeles Dodgers for two games and the Philadelphia Phillies for three.