Padres Fall 5-4 to Cubs, Suffer First Series Loss Since March
The Sporting Tribune's Fernando Ramirez writes about how the Padres slow offensive start doomed them to lose their first series March 31st.
Apr 29, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Chicago Cubs left fielder Michael Conforto (20) scores ahead of the tag of San Diego Padres catcher Luis Campusano (12) during the sixth inning at Petco Park. The San Diego Padres (19-11) suffered their first two-game losing streak since March 31 on Wednesday afternoon, falling 5-4 to the Chicago Cubs (19-12). It also marked their first series loss since facing the San Francisco Giants in late March along with having lost three out of the last four games.
San Diego’s offense struggled, managing just three hits, two of which were home runs. The Cubs struck first in the top of the second inning when catcher Miguel Amaya singled to center, bringing in outfielder Michael Conforto for a 1-0 lead. A strange sequence put Conforto on base after he hit a deep fly to center field that Jackson Merrill, known for robbing home runs, misjudged and dropped, turning it into a double then led to the run.
"I just got one up for it and I didn't catch it," Merrill said. "Shit happens. " Two innings later, center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong launched his third home run of the season, a two-run shot to left field to extend the lead to 3-0.
Padres starter Matt Waldron delivered one of his better performances since stepping into the rotation following Nick Pivetta’s injury. Waldron pitched 5. 0 innings, allowing six hits and three runs.