AP

Rivas’ key hit vs hometown Padres lifts Cubs to 7-5 win

May 11, 2022, 4:57 AM | Updated: 6:26 pm

Chicago Cubs' Alfonso Rivas watches his two-run single during the eighth inning of a baseball game ...

Chicago Cubs' Alfonso Rivas watches his two-run single during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Wednesday, May 11, 2022, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

(AP Photo/Gregory Bull)


              Chicago Cubs' Frank Schwindel reacts after hitting a two-run double as San Diego Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim looks to the outfield during the fourth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 11, 2022, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
            
              Chicago Cubs' Frank Schwindel watches his two-RBI double hit during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Wednesday, May 11, 2022, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
            
              Chicago Cubs shortstop Nico Hoerner, center, walks with a trainer after injuring himself when he collided with umpire Dan Iassogna, foreground right, during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Wednesday, May 11, 2022, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
            
              Chicago Cubs shortstop Nico Hoerner, above right, talks with a trainer after injuring himself when he collided with umpire Dan Iassogna, left, during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Wednesday, May 11, 2022, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
            
              Chicago Cubs' Alfonso Rivas watches his two-RBI single during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Wednesday, May 11, 2022, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
            
              Chicago Cubs' Alfonso Rivas watches his two-run single during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Wednesday, May 11, 2022, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Chicago Cubs first baseman Alfonso Rivas had quite the homecoming.

Playing against his hometown San Diego Padres for the first time, Rivas hit a tiebreaking two-run single in the eighth inning to lift the banged-up Cubs to a 7-5 victory on Wednesday.

Willson Contreras homered for the Cubs, who took two of three from the Padres after arriving in town with a season-high, five-game losing streak. Frank Schwindel hit a two-run double in Chicago’s four-run fourth.

Rivas, who grew up in Tijuana and Chula Vista, came up with the bases loaded and singled up the middle off Luis García (0-2). Rivas hit a two-run homer in Tuesday night’s 5-4 loss that bounced out of the glove of rookie center fielder Jose Azocar and went over the fence.

“We’re going through some tough patches as a team so coming here and taking the series from a pretty good club, it’s awesome,” Rivas said. “It feels good. I think we’ve turned the page, giving us confidence for the next series.”

Rivas said he left “a good amount” of tickets for every game.

“I had a lot of family and friends here supporting. That’s awesome,” he said.

Rivas was called up late last season, so it was the first time he played in San Diego as a major leaguer. If he was nervous at all, it didn’t show.

He said his approach on his go-ahead hit was “just stay calm. Wait for your pitch, a pitch in your zone, don’t really freak out. Have confidence. The approach that I have that’s going to pay off.”

Standing on first base, he felt “just the excitement after a big hit. The game’s going back and forth. Just the emotions that get the best of you,” Rivas said.

“He’s a great hitter,” Contreras said. “From day one that I met him I knew that he was going to be somebody special. His approach is really good, his swing is really good.”

One-time Padres pitcher Rowan Wick got a six-out save, striking out Manny Machado to end the eighth with a runner on second. It was his second save in as many chances.

The Padres announced during the game that manager Bob Melvin had prostate surgery and is expected to make a full recovery. Melvin said Tuesday that he hoped to miss only the first six games of the Padres’ forthcoming nine-game road trip.

San Diego tied it at 5 on solo homers by Eric Hosmer and Luke Voit in the seventh.

Cubs shortstop Nico Hoerner departed with a sprained right ankle an inning after colliding with second base umpire Dan Iassogna in center field. The Cubs, who have a crowded injured list, were without outfielder Seiya Suzuki for the second straight game due to a sore right ankle.

Hoerner was running to get into relay position after Jurickson Profar hit a fly ball over center fielder’s Jason Heyward’s head for a triple when he collided with Iassogna. Hoerner was on the ground in pain after the collision in the first inning and was tended to by a trainer. He batted in the second and struck out, and then was replaced in the bottom half of the inning by Ildemaro Vargas.

With the Padres trailing 5-3, Hosmer connected with one out in the seventh against Mychal Givens (2-0) and Voit went deep with two outs. It was the seventh career multihomer game for Voit, who was batting .136 and in an 0-for-29 slump coming in. Voit, who recently missed 14 games with a biceps tendon injury, has struck out 18 times this season.

Contreras homered off Nick Martinez with one out in the first, his fourth. San Diego went ahead 2-1 on Hosmer’s RBI single in the first and Voit’s first homer with the Padres, leading off the second.

The Cubs jumped on Martinez for four runs in the fourth. Contreras keyed the inning by drawing a leadoff walk and then taking second on a wild pitch by sliding around the tag of Machado in the shift, touching the bag with his right hand.

Contreras scored the tying run on Patrick Wisdom’s one-out single, and Schwindel doubled to center with two outs for the lead. Heyward added an RBI single.

Machado extended his on-base streak to 21 games.

Cubs spot starter Keegan Thompson permitted two runs and five hits in four innings.

Martinez allowed five runs and four hits in four innings. He struck out eight and walked two.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: Placed LHP Sean Newcomb on the 15-day injured list with a sprained left ankle. The team said he got hurt while he was in the outfield Sunday during batting practice. RHP Mark Leiter Jr. was recalled from Triple-A Iowa.

Padres: Third-base coach Matt Williams entered COVID-19 protocols. First-base coach David Macias moved to third base and Morgan Burkhart coached at first base.

UP NEXT

Cubs: LHP Drew Smyly (1-3, 3.04 ERA) and Arizona RHP Zach Davies (1-1, 3.34 ERA) are the probables for Friday night’s series opener in Phoenix.

Padres: RHP Yu Darvish (3-1, 4.05 ERA) is scheduled to start Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at Atlanta. The Braves are expected to start former Padres farmhand Max Fried (4-2, 2.68 ERA).

___

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Associated Press

Ex-Packer Guion gets 1 year for domestic violence assault

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest in a domestic violence assault at his home last fall. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh also ordered Guion on Tuesday to serve three years’ probation and complete a domestic […]

1 year ago

Joe Jarzynka...

Associated Press

Durant eager for Suns debut vs. Hornets after knee injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant has been through quite a bit during his 15-year NBA career — but joining a new team midway through the season is a new one for the 13-time All-Star. The 34-year-old Durant doesn’t seem all that worried. Durant makes his highly anticipated Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against […]

1 year ago

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the second half of an N...

Associated Press

Judge: NFL coach can press discrimination claims in court

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can pursue some of his discrimination claims against the league and its teams in court rather than through arbitration, a judge ruled Wednesday. The written decision by Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan was issued months after lawyers for the league tried to get the lawsuit moved to […]

1 year ago

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock cools off in the first period during an NHL hockey game ...

Associated Press

Kane trade reinforces hard reality of Blackhawks rebuild

CHICAGO (AP) — After days of speculation, the harsh reality of the Chicago Blackhawks’ situation was reinforced by one move in a flurry of transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Showtime is over, at least in Chicago, and a seemingly bright future is, well, way off in the distance. The reverberations of Chicago’s decision […]

1 year ago

FILE -  Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, wearing a protective face mas...

Associated Press

Disgraced ex-Haitian soccer president announces he’s back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s former soccer federation president whose lifetime ban from sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month announced Wednesday that he is reclaiming his position. Yves Jean-Bart’s defiant announcement could lead to a standoff with FIFA, which already has appointed an emergency management committee to lead the Haitian Football Association […]

1 year ago

FILE - Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the ...

Associated Press

Rodgers says decision on future will come ‘soon enough’

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future “soon enough” as the four-time MVP quarterback ponders whether to play next season and if his future remains with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, 39, discussed his future while speaking on an episode of the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that […]

1 year ago

Rivas’ key hit vs hometown Padres lifts Cubs to 7-5 win