Quentin drives in 3 runs as Padres beat Cubs

Quentin drives in 3 runs as Padres beat Cubs

Published May. 1, 2013 9:17 a.m. ET

CHICAGO (AP) -- Carlos Quentin and Edinson Volquez must really enjoy playing at Wrigley Field.

Quentin homered and drove in three runs and Volquez (2-3) improved to 3-0 at Wrigley in leading the San Diego Padres to a 13-7 win over the Cubs on Tuesday night.

Quentin was 3 for 4 with the home run and two doubles. He is 34 for 101 (.337) with nine homers against the Cubs in his career.

Volquez worked 5 2-3 innings and allowed four runs while striking out three in his first outing against Chicago while with San Diego. Volquez is 5-0 in seven career starts against the Cubs, including 3-0 on their iconic home field.

"Sometimes you feel really comfortable in some ballparks," Volquez said. "For some reason I get comfortable here."

Volquez said that even extended to Tuesday night, when the teams combined for seven home runs and the wind was blowing out from the south at game time.

Though a pitcher not minding that is unusual, it wasn't surprising to see San Diego's players enjoy the conditions.

The Padres, who had a four-game winning streak snapped Monday, have won five of their last six games. Their run total -- the most they've ever scored at Wrigley -- and their 17 hits were both season highs.

Yonder Alonso and Nick Hundley both had three hits and a home run for San Diego.

The Padres broke the game open with five runs in the fifth, all charged to Cubs starter Edwin Jackson, to take an 8-0 lead. Alonso's two-run homer gave the Padres a 7-0 lead, while Chase Headley and Quentin had RBI doubles in the inning.

"We get a combination of power and two-out hits all the way up and down the lineup. Everybody got involved, so everybody's driving in runs," Hundley said. "It's contagious."

It even spread to Volquez, whose sharp single in the fifth gave San Diego an 8-0 lead.

That RBI was just a footnote for the right-hander, who won his second straight start after beating Milwaukee on April 24 with seven shutout innings. Tuesday continued Volquez's recovery from a tough beginning to the season that saw him start 0-3 with an 11.68 ERA.

Volquez's walk of Dave Sappelt to lead off the sixth ended a streak of 13 consecutive innings without allowing a base on balls.

"Overall, I thought Eddie threw the ball fine. Tough night to pitch," Padres manager Bud Black said. "Wind blowing out, conditions favorable for the offense but the first four innings I thought were outstanding."

Volquez's first tough inning was the fifth.

Leading 8-0, he allowed Luis Valbuena and Starlin Castro to hit two-run home runs, cutting San Diego's lead in half. With one out in the inning, a Julio Borbon line drive hit Volquez in the left foot. Volquez made the play to get Borbon at first and stayed in the game.

In the sixth, Volquez walked Sappelt then Valbuena and Darwin Barney with two outs to load the bases and end his night at 96 pitches. Dale Thayer then replaced Volquez, and finished the inning by getting Julio Borbon to fly out to right.

"I think he's a lot more focused on executing the pitch instead of just letting the stuff get people out," Hundley said. "I knew he felt good just how his bullpen was before the game. His first couple pitches I was like, yeah, he's got it going."

Jackson (0-4) did not have it going for the Cubs.

The right-hander is still seeking his first win since signing a four-year, $52 million contract in the offseason. He pitched 4 2-3 innings, giving up 11 hits and eight runs, and was booed off the field when he was removed by Cubs manager Dale Sveum.

"I would've probably booed myself as well," Jackson said.

Sveum said Jackson "didn't make a lot of quality pitches when he had to."

"We just have to keep plugging away with him and get him straightened out," Sveum said.

NOTES: Mark Kotsay was in right field for the Padres, his first start since April 22 against Milwaukee. Before Tuesday, Kotsay had two at-bats in San Diego's last six games, both strikeouts. Chris Denorfia moved to center. . Wednesday's pitching matchup is San Diego's Andrew Cashner (1-1, 3.26 ERA) against the Cubs' Scott Feldman (1-3, 2.92). Cashner was a first-round pick by the Cubs in 2008 and was traded to San Diego for Anthony Rizzo in January 2012. . Sveum said he's got a closer but he "doesn't know who it's going to be every night." ... Cubs reliever Kyuji Fujikawa is scheduled to have a bullpen session Thursday, and if that goes well he will begin a rehab assignment Sunday at Triple-A Iowa. Fujikawa has been on the disabled list since April 13 with a right forearm strain. . Padres reliever Robbie Erlin made his big-league debut in the ninth, allowing two runs, including a solo home run to former Padre Cody Ransom.

ADVERTISEMENT
share