Cubs 5, Padres 3
CHICAGO -- Cody Ransom homered and hit a tiebreaking single, and the Cubs bullpen held off the San Diego Padres to preserve Chicago's 5-3 victory Monday night.
The win was the fourth in five games for the Cubs, while the Padres saw a four-game winning streak end.
Chicago broke a 3-3 tie when Ransom's sixth-inning single drove home Alfonso Soriano. Darwin Barney followed with a double down to left field line to score Ransom.
San Diego loaded the bases in the seventh on reliever Shawn Camp, who was pulled with one out. Left-hander James Russell entered and struck out Yonder Alonso, then got an inning-ending groundout from Jedd Gyorko.
Russell departed with two outs in the eighth and runners on second and third. Right-hander Kevin Gregg got Chris Denorfia on a short groundout, then worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his fourth save.
Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija pitched five innings but wasn't involved in the decision. Michael Bowden (1-1) worked a scoreless sixth.
Padres lefty Clayton Richard (0-3) lost his second straight start. He allowed five earned runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings, walked two and struck out one.
Ransom homered in the second inning off Richard. Barney added two RBIs on two doubles.
San Diego leadoff man Everth Cabrera went 3-for-4 and scored twice.
The Padres took advantage of Samardzija's two first-inning wild pitches for a quick 1-0 lead.
Cabrera opened the game with a walk, advanced to second on Chase Headley's base hit and reached third on the Samardzija's first wild pitch during Carlos Quentin's at-bat. Quentin struck out, but Padres catcher Nick Hundley couldn't handle the pitch, allowing Cabrera to score.
The Cubs replied with back-to-back solo homers with one out in the second to claim a 2-1 lead.
Scott Hairston evened the score, sending Richard's 3-1 pitch to the left field bleachers for his second home run of the season. Ransom followed with a shot straight to center field on a 3-2 pitch. It was also his second homer of the year.
It was the second straight home game the Cubs have hit consecutive home runs in an inning.
Welington Castillo doubled to lead off the fourth and scored on Barney's two-out double to left-center for a 3-1 Cubs lead.
The Padres loaded the bases in the fifth as Samardzija gave up a single to Cabrera and walked Denforia and Quentin.
Alonso's bloop base hit to left scored Cabrera and Denorfia to tie the game at 3-3, but Samardzija escaped the inning by striking out Gyorko.
Samardzija wound up allowing three runs on four hits and four walks in five innings. He struck out eight.
NOTES: 1B Anthony Rizzo entered the week with the most homers in April ever by a Cubs left-handed hitter (eight) and was two away from the overall club record for April, set by Alfonso Soriano in 2011 ... Monday marked the 30th anniversary of former Cub manager Lee Elia's profanity-laced tirade against fans after a loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Wrigley Field. "Eighty-five percent of the (bleeping) world is working. The other 15 come out here," said Elia, who was fired on Aug. 21, 1983 ... Hundley hit .364 (20-for-55) with eight extra-base hits over his previous 15 games ... Padres RHP Edinson Volquez, who starts Tuesday at Wrigley, has never lost to the Cubs. He's 4-0 with a 2.21 ERA against them. RHP Edwin Jackson will pitch for Chicago.
