Apr 14, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) celebrates after hitting a two run home run during the eighth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images
San Diego, California – Fernando Tatis Jr. continued his torrid power surge Monday night, homering twice and scoring the go-ahead run on a wild pitch as the San Diego Padres opened a marquee series between National League division leaders with a 10-4 win over the Chicago Cubs at Petco Park.
With the victory, the Padres improved to 11-0 at home and boast the best record in the majors at 14-3.
Tatis launched a solo home run in the third inning, then played catalyst in a pivotal seventh, drawing a leadoff walk and eventually scoring the tiebreaking run on a wild pitch by Cubs reliever Nate Pearson. He capped his night with a two-run homer in the eighth — his sixth of the season, tying him for the major league lead.
The pair of blasts marked Tatis’s 12th career multi-homer game and moved him into second place all-time in home runs at Petco Park with 67, breaking a tie with Adrian Gonzalez. Only Manny Machado (91) has more at the Padres’ home field.
“Right now, he’s just seeing everything,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said of Tatis. “He’s on time, he’s aggressive, and when he gets his pitch, he’s not missing it.”
The Cubs briefly took control in the fourth, capitalizing on a fielding error by Machado and a two-run homer from Michael Busch to grab a 3-1 lead. Busch’s fourth homer of the season also snapped a 37-inning scoreless streak by the Padres’ pitching staff, which had held opponents without a run since the third inning last Wednesday in Oakland.
But the Padres tied it in the sixth and never looked back.
A crucial break came when Gavin Sheets’ shallow pop fly fell between Cubs defenders Ian Happ and Dansby Swanson for a single, keeping the inning alive. San Diego made the most of the opportunity with two runs to knot the score.
In the seventh, after Tatis scored on Pearson’s wild pitch, Sheets struck again — this time with a sharp two-run single to extend the Padres’ lead to 6-3.
Luis Arraez added insurance with a solo shot in the eighth, just before Tatis’s second homer. It was the first back-to-back home runs of the season for San Diego.
Adrian Morejon (1-0) earned the win in relief, while Pearson (0-1) took the loss.
Up next, the Cubs will send lefty Shota Imanaga (2-1, 2.70 ERA) to the mound on Tuesday night, opposing Padres right-hander Randy Vásquez (1-1, 1.72 ERA) in Game 2 of the three-game set.
With Tatis swinging a scorching bat and the Padres firing on all cylinders at home, the Cubs have their work cut out for them.
