Padres have chance in 9th, but fall 3-1 for first loss of year in chilly Chicago

The Padres‘ win streak to start the season is over, but it took a standout performance Friday to halt it.

Shota Imanaga pitched one-run ball into the eighth inning during Chicago’s chilly home opener at Wrigley Field – temperatures were in the 40s – as the Cubs handed the Friars their first loss, 3-1.

Imanaga (2-0) allowed four hits in 7 1/3 innings in his second straight win. The Japanese left-hander has permitted two runs and seven hits in 18 1/3 innings over his first three starts this year.

Ian Happ had two hits and scored two runs as Chicago improved to 6-2 since it dropped its first two games in Tokyo against the Dodgers.

The Padres have been enjoying their best start in franchise history, with seven consecutive victories.

Martín Maldonado homered for the Padres in the third, tying the game at 1. But the Cubs scored two runs in the fifth after Randy Vásquez (0-1) retired the first two batters, but suffered some shaky defense.

Martín ties it up! pic.twitter.com/se5M18fcMj— San Diego Padres (@Padres) April 4, 2025

With the bases loaded after a pair of walks, pinch-hitter Justin Turner greeted Yuki Matsui with a hard grounder to Xander Bogaerts. The shortstop threw from his knees as he tried for the force at second, but Seiya Suzuki was safe and Happ scampered home with the tiebreaker — delighting the crowd of 40,244 on an overcast afternoon.

Kyle Tucker scored when Manny Machado committed an error on Dansby Swanson’s grounder to third.

Porter Hodge got two outs for Chicago before Ryan Pressly came in and had to fight off a Padre rally. With one out, Bogaerts walked and Jackson Merrill singled. But Pressly earned his third save by drawing a grounder from Gavin Sheets – Bogaerts and Merrill advanced on the play – and, on a 3-2 count, dropping a fastball on the inside corner for a called third strike on Jake Cronenworth.

The Padres send Nick Pivetta to the mound Saturday to face Matthew Boyd.