Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (6/5/23): Padres 5, Cubs 0 – Shutout Loss Leads to Series Split

The Cubs battled the Padres in the final game of an unusual four-game set on Monday night. Chicago’s offensive woes returned after a brief hiatus Sunday and San Diego took home a shutout victory to split the series.

Kyle Hendricks breezed through the opening inning before running into big trouble in the 2nd. Former Yankees catcher Gary Sánchez tagged Hendricks with a two-run homer to left field and shortstop Ha-Seong Kim rifled an RBI double past third base to give the home team a 3-0 advantage.

Left-hander Blake Snell got a little help early from the generous strike zone of home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi, who ejected Cubs manager David Ross in the 2nd, and then he settled in and eventually went six strong innings. Manny Machado doubled and scored on a Jake Cronenworth single to add an unnecessary insurance tally in the 4th inning.

Chicago went very quietly and it was never much of a game as the Padres cruised to a 5-0 win. (Box score)

Key Moment

The Cubs had two men on base with one out in the top of the 1st inning. Snell struck out Seiya Suzuki and Patrick Wisdom to strand the runners and Chicago never threatened again.

Why the Cubs Lost

It was another game where the hitters could do almost nothing. Combined with a mediocre-but-not-terrible effort by Hendricks, the game was over.

Stats That Matter

• The Professor was efficient on Monday, but San Diego made him pay for his mistakes: 6 IP, 4 R, 6 H, 4 K, and 0 BB.
• Ian Happ reached base three times with two walks and a single.

Bottom Line

If you eliminate the seven the Cubs scored on Sunday, the North Siders were able to put up just two runs in the other three games of the series. The margin of error for pitchers getting that little offensive support is razor-thin and this staff does not have the depth to do it. This team has to start hitting soon or the hole they are in will keep getting deeper.

On Deck

The Cubs head up the highway to Anaheim for three with the Angels starting Tuesday at 8:38pm CT. Hayden Wesneski, in for the injured Justin Steele, gets the nod against former Colorado Rockies left-hander Tyler Anderson with coverage on MLB Network (out of market only), Marquee, and 670 The Score.