Padres 8, Cubs 6
SAN DIEGO -- Jedd Gyorko homered twice as the San Diego Padres rallied from a six-run deficit to defeat the Chicago Cubs 8-6 on Friday night before an announced crowd of 23,561 at Petco Park.
Gyorko, who went 3-for-4 with four RBIs, hit a three-run homer in the fourth and added a solo shot in the eighth. His eight home runs in August set a record for Padres rookies.
Will Venable delivered the go-ahead run with a solo blast off reliever James Russell with one out in the seventh. The home run, Venable's club-leading 18th, traveled an estimated 441 feet to right and came on the second pitch from Russell (1-5).
Nate Schierholtz homered for the Cubs (54-74), who lost their fourth in a row. San Diego (58-70) won for the fourth time in six games.
The Padres dug themselves out of a 6-0 hole with three runs in the fourth, two in the fifth and a run in the sixth courtesy of an RBI triple by Logan Forsythe.
Nate Vincent (3-1) tossed a scoreless inning for the victory. Huston Street gave up a hit in the ninth before posting his 25th save. Vincent and Street combined with relievers Tim Stauffer, Dale Thayer and Luke Gregerson to keep the Cubs scoreless after the first inning.
Chicago starter Edwin Jackson allowed six runs (five earned) and 10 hits in six-plus innings. Jackson struck out four and walked none on 95 pitches (64 strikes).
The Cubs greeted Padres starter Edinson Volquez by sending 11 batters to the plate in the first inning. The first eight reached base before the Padres caught Brian Bogusevic in a rundown between third and home for the first out.
Dioner Navarro got the scoring going with an RBI single before Schierholtz drilled a 2-2 curveball into the seats in right for a three-run homer and a 4-0 Cubs lead. After Junior Lake singled and Donnie Murphy was hit by a pitch, Bogusevic drove in both of them with a triple to right for a 6-0 advantage. Volquez was done after he walked former Padre Anthony Rizzo.
Volquez lasted only 2/3 of an inning. He gave up six runs (five earned) and five hits, walked two and hit a batter.
In the fourth, Gyorko cut the lead in half with a three-run blast off Jackson.
In the fifth, Venable slapped a two-run triple off the right-center fence to pull the Padres to 6-5.
NOTES: Padres OF/1B Kyle Blanks will begin a rehab assignment on Saturday at either Class A Lake Elsinore or Triple-A Tucson. Blanks has been on the disabled list since July 12 with tendinitis in his left Achilles'. ... The Padres are expected decide whether to shut down LF Carlos Quentin before the end of the weekend. Quentin has been on the disabled list since Aug. 10 (retroactive to July 31) with a strained right knee and has shown little improvement. Season-ending surgery is a possibility. ... Cubs RHP Jeff Samardzija (7-11, 4.12 ERA) will face Padres LHP Eric Stults (8-10, 3.70) on Saturday.
