Major League Baseball

Bryant gets 1st hit, reaches 5 times as Cubs beat Padres in 11

Published Apr. 18, 2015 6:56 p.m. ET

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On his second day with the Cubs, Kris Bryant played like the top prospect Chicago was expecting.

Bryant got a standing ovation for his first major league hit and reached base five times Saturday in a 7-6, 11-inning win over the San Diego Padres.

A day after Bryant went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts in his big league debut, he was 2 for 3 with a pair of singles and three walks.

"You're always looking for good at-bats and being a good decision-maker. He was that today," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said.

With the Cubs trailing 2-1 in the fifth, Bryant hit a broken-bat single off the end of his bat into short center to drive in the tying run, earning a big cheer from the 33,958 fans at Wrigley Field.

"We'll take it against a tough right-handed pitcher," Maddon said.

Bryant had allowed Wil Myers' bouncer leading off the game to kick off his glove for his first major league error. Bryant did not speak with reporters after the game.

"He made the one gaffe but overall he played well, ran the bases good and he had a good baseball game today," Maddon said. "I think the fans, the folks who watch the game closely, they understand the importance of accepting your walks. You don't look for your walk, you accept your walk, and after yesterday it was ingrained in his mind that I'm not going to do that again. And he had some really good at-bats."

Bryant walked against Tyson Ross in the first and fourth innings.

"He did a really good job. We know he's got talent. We just need to take a little bit of pressure off his shoulders," said Miguel Montero, who homered twice and drove in three runs. "He's a young kid, and he has all the talent in the world. He's going to be good."

Bryant walked in the seventh, flied out in the ninth and reached on an infield single to shortstop in the 11th against Craig Kimbrel (0-1), moving Anthony Rizzo to third with one out. Pinch-hitter David Ross walked to load the bases, bringing up Starlin Castro.

San Diego brought in Myers from center as a fifth infielder and, with all five playing in, Castro singled past third baseman Will Middlebrooks and into left field.

"This is one of the games that make us feel better," Castro said. "Last year and the year before, we lose a lot of games like that."

Zac Rosscup (1-0) allowed one hit in two scoreless innings for his second major league win.

Matt Kemp, who is batting .340 with nine RBIs, hit a two-run homer in the first off Kyle Hendricks, who allowed two runs and three hits in six innings with eight strikeouts and no walks.

Ross gave up three runs, five hits and five walks in 5 2/3 innings, striking out nine.

Trailing 6-2, San Diego tied the score in the ninth, which began with singles by Yonder Alonso and Kemp off Phil Coke.

Justin Upton greeted Hector Rondon with a run-scoring single, Middlebrooks hit an RBI double, Jedd Gyorko had a run-scoring groundout and pinch-hitter Yangervis Solarte tied the score with a two-out single.

It was the third straight game that the Padres rallied to tie it or take the lead.

"We feel as though until the game is over, we're still in it," San Diego manager Bud Black said. "Regardless of the score, it was tough to overcome with the wind blowing in and a four-run deficit, but that says a lot about our guys."

Rondon had converted 17 straight save opportunities since Aug. 5.

Montero's opposite-field home run to left through a 19 mph wind had given the Cubs a 3-2 lead in the sixth.

UP NEXT

Padres: Andrew Cashner (0-2 with a 4.09 ERA) is Sunday's scheduled starter.

Cubs: Jon Lester (0-1 with a 7.84 ERA) makes his third start for the Cubs.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Cubs 3B Mike Olt arrived in the Chicago clubhouse Saturday with a cast on his right wrist, which has a hairline fracture. "Hopefully, the cast will be off in three, four weeks, and then start my rehab from there."

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