Yu Darvish throws five scoreless innings as the Padres beat the Cubs 6-3

CHICAGO (AP) — Yu Darvish pitched five scoreless innings, Luis Campusano drove in three runs and the San Diego Padres defeated the Chicago Cubs 6-3 on Monday night.

Darvish (2-1) allowed three hits, struck out five and walked one in his second straight victory. The Japanese right-hander, who played three seasons for Chicago before being traded to San Diego in December 2020, also pitched five shutout innings in a 6-4 win against Cincinnati last week.

Campusano, Xander Bogaerts, Jake Cronenworth and Donovan Solano each had two hits as the Padres won for the fifth time in six games. Robert Suarez got five outs for his eleventh save in eleven chances.

Christopher Morel and Yan Gomes homered for the Cubs, who fell to 12-5 this season at Wrigley Field. Mike Tauchman had two singles and scored a run.

Chicago left-hander Justin Steele pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings in his first Major League start since straining his left hamstring on opening day. He allowed three hits while throwing 68 pitches, including 43 for strikes.

Steele received a big ovation as he left, and Richard Lovelady eliminated Luis Arraez for the final of the fifth. Manager Craig Counsell then sent Lovelady (0-1) back out for the sixth, and San Diego jumped all over the southpaw.

Singles by Fernando Tatis Jr. and Cronenworth, along with a double steal, set up Jurickson Profar’s two-run single. Solano hit an RBI single off Daniel Palencia, and Campusano’s three-run double lifted the Padres to a 6-0 lead.

Chicago cut the deficit in half on Morel’s two-run shot in the sixth and Gomes’ solo drive in the seventh. But from then on the rally disappeared.

The Cubs came up empty after loading the bases with no outs in the eighth. Jeremiah Estrada retired Pete Crow-Armstrong with a swinging strike before being replaced by Suarez, who fanned Gomes and struck out Nico Hoerner on a pop-up to the shortstop.

Suarez then rode a perfect ninth. The right-hander allowed one run and seven hits in 15 1/3 innings this season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: OFs Seiya Suzuki (right oblique strain) and Cody Bellinger (right rib fracture) practiced again for the game, including batting practice. Counsell said Suzuki will need a rehab stint in the minors, but Bellinger could be activated by the team before it begins a six-game trip in Pittsburgh on Friday night. … RHP Kyle Hendricks (lower back problems) will make a rehab start for Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday.

NEXT ONE

Randy Vásquez and Shota Imanaga take the mound Tuesday evening. Vásquez (0-1, 5.87 ERA) was recalled from Triple-A El Paso when the Padres placed right-hander Joe Musgrove on the 15-day injured list on Sunday. Imanaga (5-0, 0.78 ERA) is going for his fifth straight win for the Cubs.