Javy Baez and Patrick Wisdom each homered twice, helping Kohl Stewart and the Chicago Cubs beat the San Diego Padres 7-2 on Monday.
The 28-year-old Baez talked openly last year about how much he missed playing in front of fans during the pandemic-shortened season. With Wrigley allowed to host 60% of its capacity at the moment, producing a charged crowd of 24,824 for the series opener against Fernando Tatis Jr. and the Padres, Baez soaked in the atmosphere once again.
Pressed into action after Trevor Williams had an appendectomy Sunday morning, Stewart pitched five innings of one-run ball in his first major league win since July 21, 2019, for Minnesota against Oakland. Stewart (1-0) opted out of last season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kris Bryant also went deep as Chicago capped a 19-8 May with its seventh win in eight games.
Bryant went 2 for 4 while extending his hitting streak to 13 games, one shy of his career high.
San Diego dropped to 4-4 on its 10-game road trip. Tatis hit his 16th homer and Wil Myers drove in a run, but that was it for the Padres.
Chris Paddack was tagged for five runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings in his first loss since April 27. The right-hander struck out six and walked one.
Baez committed a throwing error in the second that set up Myers' RBI single. But he atoned for the miscue in the third, crushing a massive drive that traveled an estimated 455 feet.
Baez took a good long look as his 12th homer soared over the wall in center. He added a solo shot in the seventh, leading to the curtain call.
Bryant's two-run shot in the fifth lifted the Cubs to a 5-1 lead and obliterated a fan's beer when he tried to catch the ball with his cup before it landed in the basket in right. Wisdom connected for solo drives in the fourth and sixth in his first career multihomer game.
Manny Machado returned to the starting lineup after resting on Sunday. The slugger has been dealing with a sore left shoulder.
Anthony Rizzo was out of the starting lineup for the sixth consecutive game because of back tightness. But Rizzo took some swings and fielded grounders before the matchup with the Padres.
OFs Jason Heyward (left hamstring strain) and Jake Marisnick (right hamstring strain) also worked out on the field.
Left-hander Ryan Weathers (2-1, 1.31 ERA) and right-hander Kyle Hendricks (5-4, 4.63 ERA) pitch on Tuesday night. Weathers tossed four scoreless innings for San Diego in a no-decision at Milwaukee on Thursday. Hendricks is coming off a strong May for Chicago, going 4-1 with a 2.67 ERA in five starts.
