Cubs Collapse in San Diego

The San Diego Padres erased an eight-run deficit to beat the Cubs in San Diego on Monday night.

Patrick K. Flowers
April 09, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes

The Cubs offense came to party again in San Diego. I wrote on Monday that the Cubs offense was one of the best in baseball in various categories, and they lived up to the billing in the first of three with the Padres last night in San Diego.

The Cubs scored four runs in the second inning at Petco Park thanks to a two-out rally that started with a Nico Hoerner double. After Hoerner’s double, Mike Tauchman walked, and Miguel Amaya was hit by a pitch by Padres starter Yu Darvish. Ian Happ knocked in a pair of runs with an RBI single, and then Cody Bellinger delivered a two-run single of his own.

A Cody Bellinger sac fly, a Christopher Morel RBI double, and a two-run triple by Dansby Swanson made it 8-0 Cubs in the fourth inning.

Cubs starter Javier Assad turned in a solid performance, allowing two earned runs on three hits while striking out seven in five innings. But Craig Counsell’s bullpen allowed seven runs (five earned) in the final frames on Monday night at Petco Park as the Cubs watched an eight-run lead evaporate en route to a 9-8 loss to the Padres.

Jose Cuas allowed four runs (two earned) on three hits while registering just one out. Cuas has been very bad lately, allowing three runs in his previous two outings against the Dodgers and Rockies last week at Wrigley Field, but tonight’s performance led to a full-blown meltdown that stings. After a 5-1 homestand and taking two of three against the Dodgers, a crushing loss as this one hurts, even if it’s still early April.

It’s certainly not how the Cubs wanted to start a long road trip against the Padres, Mariners, and Diamondbacks.

Michael has more on the Cubs’ loss to the Padres in last night’s Enhanced Box Score.

Enhanced Box Score: Padres 9, Cubs 8 - April 8, 2024 - Bleacher Nation

The Cubs lost an absolute heartbreaker in SD.

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