Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a crucial two-run home run in the eighth inning, propelling the Padres to a surprising 9-8 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Monday night.
Tatis celebrated as he watched the ball sail over the left field fence, showing his excitement with a bat flip and fist pumps. This marked his fourth home run of the season, and he was wearing special cleats in honor of the late Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn.
The homer came after rookie Jackson Merrill drew a leadoff walk off Adbert Alzolay (1-1). Wandy Peralta (1-0) earned the win, while Robert Suarez secured his fourth save.
Cubs’ right-hander Javier Assad, who hails from Tijuana, Mexico, had a strong start, holding the Padres to two hits and no runs until the sixth inning.
However, the Padres mounted a comeback, scoring seven runs in the sixth inning, highlighted by two-run homers from Jake Cronenworth and Xander Bogaerts. Assad allowed a leadoff walk to Tatis before Cronenworth’s homer.
Yu Darvish, who previously played for the Cubs, struggled in the second inning, allowing four runs on three hits, two walks, and a hit batter. He was pulled from the game after three innings, marking only the tenth time in his extensive career that he lasted three innings or fewer.
The Cubs added four more runs in the fourth inning, with hits from Cody Bellinger, Christopher Morel, and Dansby Swanson.
