The game turned on one devastating inning. Chicago scored five times in the seventh to break open a tight contest and defeat San Diego 8-3 at Petco Park, snapping a three-game losing streak with authority.
Pete Crow-Armstrong delivered the decisive blow with a three-run homer to center field, his second of the season. The outfielder finished 1-for-4 with three RBI and a walk, batting .241 on the year with 10 RBI. Edward Cabrera earned the victory, allowing three runs over 5.2 innings while striking out seven. The right-hander improved to 3-0 with a 3.06 ERA.
The Cubs seized control in the seventh after trailing 3-2. Alex Bregman singled home Seiya Suzuki to tie the game, then Crow-Armstrong launched his 410-foot blast to bring home Carson Kelly and Bregman. The five-run outburst erased what had been a back-and-forth affair through six innings.
Kyle Hart absorbed the loss for San Diego, allowing two runs in just two-thirds of an inning. His ERA stands at 5.87. The Padres managed only six hits despite Xander Bogaerts' solo homer in the second and Ty France's RBI single in the fourth that briefly tied the game.
Chicago improved to 17-12 while San Diego fell to 19-9. The Cubs had been outscored in their previous three games before breaking through with their highest-scoring performance in recent weeks.