Game Recap: Cubs stay hot and win fifth straight

Dustin Riese - Senior Writer - 20 hours ago

CHICAGO - Anytime you face an offense as tough as the San Diego Padres (7-2), you need to find a way to manufacture runs and capitalize on the chances you are given. Through two games at Wrigley Field this weekend, the Chicago Cubs (7-4) have not only capitalized on their chances effectively but have also found a way to win the first two games of the series, handing the Padres their first two losses.

Today was about as good of a game as the Cubs could have asked for as they jumped on Padres starter Nick Pivetta early and cruised to a 7-1 win. That makes two runs scored for the Padres through two games, as the Cubs pitching has played as big of a role in the Cubs five-game winning streak as the offense has.

Today, it was all about Matthew Boyd, as the free-agent lefty continues to impress. After failing to allow a run against Arizona in his first start, Boyd was at it again on Saturday as the lefty went six scoreless innings to keep his ERA at 0.00. He walked one, struck out five, and allowed just five hits to completely handcuff the Padres offense.

The same can't be said about Pivetta, who lasted just three innings. A big reason for that was the high pitch counts the Cubs were able to rack up against him. He was charged with three runs in three innings and needed more than 70 pitches to get through those innings. Neither team was able to score in the first inning, but the Padres had the best chance with two runners on, as that was the most trouble Boyd would face.

It was in the second inning when the Cubs offense got rolling, and they made Pivetta work extremely hard. Dansby Swanson got things started with a leadoff single, but was still standing on second with two outs. That was until Carson Kelly came through with his first of what was another massive four-RBI game, as his RBI single put the Cubs in front 1-0. Chicago would tack on another run later in the inning with Kyle Tucker picking up a bases-loaded walk to make things 2-0 as that would go down as the game-winning run.

The Cubs continued to attack Pivetta in the third. Swanson connected for his second hit in as many at-bats, using a solo shot to extend the lead to 3-0. Following a costly error that allowed Nico Hoerner to reach base, the Cubs loaded the bases as Pete Crow-Armstrong and Matt Shaw delivered a pair of singles. Unfortunately, the Cubs were unable to capitalize on that scoring chance, a trend that has persisted throughout the season.

Pitching with a comfortable lead, Boyd was able to settle in on the mound, but he wasn't perfect as Boyd allowed at least one base runner in his final three innings on the mound, only to get bailed out by several big double plays. With Boyd doing his part on the mound, the Cubs offense continued their patient approach at the plate as they continued to work deep counts and come through with clutch hits.

Hoerner continued that trend in the fourth when he delivered an opposite-field single off Omar Cruz, scoring Michael Busch to extend the Cubs' lead to 4-0. Looking to break the game open in the fifth, the Cubs loaded the bases for the third time in the ball game, only to come up empty for the second time as the Padres remained within striking distance.

That was until the sixth, when another Swanson single started what wound up being another big inning for the Cubs. Swanson remained on base with two outs, but it was the Matt Shaw walk that extended the and moved Swanson into scoring position. After witnessing the Cubs' catchers as one of the worst units in baseball last season, they are off to an incredible start in 2025 and have been one of the more productive tandems in the league.

Kelly has been a significant reason for that, as he connected for his second home run of the week, a three-run blast that broke the game open and put the Cubs ahead 7-0. It would be all the offense the Cubs would need as their bullpen got the job done despite going through some bumps. Brad Keller and Caleb Thielbar weren't an issue, but it was Nate Pearson who continued to struggle, which was a concern for this team.

One of the many reasons the Cubs' pen was able to turn things around last season is that Pearson has been struggling in 2025, giving up runs in three of his four appearances. That included allowing the Padres' only run in the seventh, as Pearson gave up three hits in that inning, including the RBI single to Fernando Tatis Jr. that ended the shutout.

That was the only run the Padres would score, as Keller and Thielbar closed out the game late, giving the Cubs a second consecutive series win and their fifth straight win overall.

Three Cubs recorded multi-hit games, including Kelly, who drove in four runs. Swanson and Hoerner also had two hits, as the Cubs had 11 hits in the win. Chicago will go for the sweep on Sunday when they send Ben Brown to the mound against Kyle Hart.