Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (2/24/26): Cubs 6, Padres 5 – Kelly Homers on First Shōta Shove Day of 2026
Tuesday was the first official Shōta Shove Day of 2026 for the Cubs as Shōta Imanaga started against the Padres at Sloan Park. The stocky lefty got a major boost from batterymate Carson Kelly, and the home team came out with a one-run victory.
Kelly put Chicago on top with an RBI single in the bottom of the 1st inning. They would add two more in the following frame when Michael Busch was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Matt Shaw lifted a sacrifice fly to left field. Imanaga had a pair of clean innings to keep the score at 3-0 after three.
San Diego scored twice against Jacob Webb on a two-run double from Nick Castellanos in the top of the 4th to cut the deficit to 3-2. The North Siders answered right back in the bottom of the 5th with a solo home run by Kelly and a double by B.J. Murray that increased the advantage to 6-2.
The Padres pushed across three more tallies in the final two frames to make it close, but the Cubs survived to win 6-5. (Box score)
Key Moment
The three-run 5th inning provided just enough of a margin for Chicago to get the victory.
Why the Cubs Won
Timely hitting was the deciding factor in this one.
Stats That Matter
- Shōta had higher velocity in this game than at any point in 2025, which would be very helpful if it continues going forward.
- Busch also had a double in his first appearance of the spring.
- Kelly had some very good swings.
Bottom Line
Kelly provided an unexpected influx of offense at the catching position for the Cubs in 2025. It’s just the beginning of camp, but the early returns look very promising. Imanaga is trying to bounce back after a rough end of the year, and it would certainly be fun for everyone if he could.
On Deck
The Rockies come to Sloan Park for a game on Wednesday afternoon at 2:05pm CT. Jameson Taillon makes his second start in a contest that isn’t being broadcast.
