Chicago Cubs hand Padres 1st loss in 12 home games while shuffling roster

Nico Hoerner's triple leading off the 10th inning drove in automatic runner Dansby Swanson, and the Chicago Cubs beat San Diego 2-1 on Tuesday night, handing the Padres their first loss in 12 home games.

Hoerner's opposite-field liner to right-center off Yuki Matsui (0-1) rolled to the wall. Swanson scampered home and Hoerner slid into third headfirst ahead of the throw from center fielder Jason Heyward.

The Padres had runners on first and third with two outs in the bottom of the inning before Caleb Thielbar got three-time batting champion Luis Arraez to fly out to left to get his first save.

Ryan Pressley (1-1) earned the win in the matchup of NL division leaders.

San Diego slugger Manny Machado homered after two Cubs players dropped pop fouls during a nine-pitch at-bat against Shota Imanaga in the fifth.

Machado fouled off six pitches during his at-bat with two outs, including one down the right field line that Kyle Tucker dropped and a high pop behind home plate that third baseman Gage Workman dropped. Machado drove a 92-mph fastball to left-center for his second homer.

The Cubs tied it in the sixth on two singles and two sacrifice bunts, with Pete Crow-Armstrong getting an RBI.

Imanaga allowed four hits in five innings. He struck out seven and walked three.

Padres starter Randy Vásquez also went five, allowing one run and seven hits.

Key moment

The Cubs intentionally walked red-hot Fernando Tatis Jr. in the 10th to get to Arraez. Tatis homered twice in the Padres' 10-4 win on Monday night.

Key stat

It was the fifth time Machado had homered on the ninth pitch or later of an at-bat.

Up next

Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd (1-1, 1.59 ERA) and Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta (2-1, 1.59 ERA) are scheduled to start the series finale Wednesday.

Cubs option top prospect Matt Shaw to Triple-A after disappointing start to third baseman's career

The Chicago Cubs have optioned top prospect Matt Shaw to Triple-A Iowa after a disappointing start to the rookie third baseman's career.

Shaw, the No. 13 pick in the 2023 amateur draft, is just 10 for 58 with one homer and three RBIs. He has 18 strikeouts in 68 plate appearances.

"We want to get a productive player back," manager Craig Counsell said before the Cubs played the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night. "Sometimes you have to take a step back to do that. At this level it’s production and the point we’re at, obviously you give guys time to work through it but we just thought we saw enough where we kind of needed to take a break from this level and get some at-bats at Triple-A."

Counsell, a former major league infielder, said it's normal for young hitters to struggle.

"He’s just been up against it a little bit to start the year," he said. "Sometimes it is just some success that kind of reframes it some and gets you good feelings back and good vibes back and gets you back to being that offensive threat."

The Cubs also placed right-hander Eli Morgan on the 15-day injured list because of an elbow impingement. Infielder Vidal Bruján was reinstated from the 10-day IL, and right-hander Nate Pearson was optioned to Iowa.

Left-hander Luke Little and right-hander Daniel Palencia were recalled from Triple-A before the Cubs' game at San Diego.

Counsell said Morgan felt something in his elbow on Monday night, when he got two outs in a 10-4 loss. The team will figure out what's next when it returns to Chicago after Wednesday's game.

Morgan, acquired from Cleveland in November, has a 12.27 ERA in seven appearances. He went 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA in 32 appearances last season for the AL Central champion Guardians, who had the best bullpen in the majors in 2024.

The Cubs were leading the NL Central at 11-8 entering Tuesday's game against the Padres. They lost ace Justin Steele to a season-ending left elbow injury.