Chicago Cubs: Padres avoid sweep with 3-2 win in finale

The Cubs went into Wednesday with a chance to finish off a sweep of the Padres,  as Eddie Butler took the hill, trying to get a little bit of revenge from when the Padres swept the Cubs back in late May.

Chicago Cubs’ Eddie Butler walked the tightrope for much of the early innings, working out of jams in the 1st and 3rd innings while letting the pitch count pile up. That has become the norm for Butler. But, he’s some sort of wizard, as he never manages to let the games get too out of hand, and Butler at least gives the Cubs a chance to win most days.

It was a scoreless deadlock until the bottom of the fourth when Ian Happ hit a two-out, two-run home run after Kyle Schwarber worked a walk, making it 2-0. In the top of the fifth, the Padres would strike quick. Craig Stammen, in relief of starter Miguel Diaz, who left with an injury, would hit a double, and Jose Pirela would drive him home the very next batter, making it 2-1 and signaling the end of the day for Butler.

More from Chicago Cubs News

• Cubs should keep close eye on non-tender candidate Cody Bellinger
• Cubs starting pitching has been thriving on the North Side
• Make no mistake: the Cubs are very much about power hitters
• Cubs: It’s time to start thinking about potential September call-ups
• Cubs: P.J. Higgins deserves to be in the lineup on a daily basis

Justin Grimm would come in and put the fire out, looking like his old self. Grimm struck out Franchy Cordero, got Wil Myers to pop up, and Hunter Renfroe to strike out. The Cubs lead would evaporate in the sixth inning, as Erick Aybar hit a solo home run to the opposite field, bringing the score back to where we started, a 2-2 tie.

The Padres would gain the lead for good in the eighth inning. Wil Myers led off with a single, Corey Spangenberg would single, advancing Myers to third. Aybar would be intentionally walked, and Former Cubs Great Matt Szczur would pop out, leaving the bases loaded with two outs. Luis Torrens would draw a 5-pitch walk to bring in the winning run, and the Cubs would go down without a semblance of a threat the next two innings. The Cubs managed just two hits on the day, one of them being the Happ home run.

Next: Assessing the NL Central

The Cubs now head back on the road for a four-game series against the Marlins, before traveling to Washington after that. Jake Arrieta will take the hill tomorrow, looking to rebound from two subpar starts, where he was burned in the fifth inning. Arrieta will be opposed by Jeff Locke. Tomorrow’s game starts at 6:10.