SAN DIEGO (AP) — Gary Sánchez hit a two-run home run and Blake Snell and three relievers combined on a four-hitter for the San Diego Padres, who beat the Chicago Cubs 5-0 Monday night to salvage a split of a four-game series.
Manny Machado had three hits, scored twice and made a sensational play at third base in his fourth game back from a stint on the injured list with a fractured left hand.
Sánchez, claimed off waivers from the New York Mets a week earlier, hit his third homer in seven games with the Padres when he lined a 2-2 pitch from Kyle Hendricks into the left field seats with one out in the second. Machado was aboard on a leadoff single.
“He's been unbelievable, offensively, behind the plate,” manager Bob Melvin said of the Padres' new catcher. “The running game's kind of been shut down some with his arm strength, he's caught guys he's never caught before and done a great job with them. Quick learning curve with him. He's fit right in from the day he got here.
“This one hopefully is a really great pickup for us and has been so far,” the manager added.
“Whenever you get the opportunity to be out on the field and playing every single day, good things tend to happen,” Sánchez said through an interpreter. “I think it's more the opportunity to be out there every day.”
Plate umpire Phil Cuzzi ejected David Ross after the Cubs manager said something from the dugout during Sánchez's at-bat. Ross came out and continued the argument for a few minutes. He was replaced by Andy Green, who managed the Padres from 2016-19.
Matt Carpenter and Ha-Seong Kim followed with consecutive doubles to make it 3-0. Machado doubled with two outs in the third and scored on Jake Cronenworth's opposite-field single to left. Matt Carpenter hit a bases-loaded drive to the center field fence for a sacrifice fly in the eighth.
Snell (2-6) allowed just two singles and walked three in six innings while striking out eight.
“He's the man,” Snell said Sánchez, a former rival from the AL East. “One thing I kept laughing about in the dugout, I was saying we'd be really good together, especially with how well he hits me. He sees my pitches really well and having him behind the plate is very comforting, when he's not hitting."
Hendricks (0-2) had three pitch clock violations while allowing four runs and six hits in six innings.
In the third, Machado made a backhanded stop of Seiya Suzuki's grounder and, as his momentum carried him several steps into foul territory, turned and made the long throw to first to end the inning.
