Yu Darvish pitches 5 scoreless innings as the Padres beat the Cubs 6-3

CHICAGO (AP) — Yu Darvish pitched five scoreless innings, Luis Campusano drove in three runs and the San Diego Padres beat the Chicago Cubs 6-3 on Monday night.

Darvish (2-1) allowed three hits in his second start since he was activated off the 15-day injured list after being sidelined by neck stiffness. He struck out five and walked one.

The Japanese right-hander, who played for Chicago for three seasons before he was traded to San Diego in December 2020, also tossed five shutout innings in a 6-4 victory against Cincinnati last week.

“Better rhythm, I would say. I think the velocity is back as well,” Darvish said through a translator. “So all in all, I felt good pitching out there tonight.”

Campusano, Xander Bogaerts, Jake Cronenworth and Donovan Solano each had two hits as the Padres won for the fifth time in six games. Robert Suarez got five outs for his 11th save in 11 opportunities.

Christopher Morel and Yan Gomes homered for the Cubs, who dropped to 12-5 at Wrigley Field this season. Mike Tauchman had two hits and scored a run.

Chicago left-hander Justin Steele pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings in his first major league start since he strained his left hamstring on opening day. He allowed three hits while throwing 68 pitches, 43 for strikes.

“Felt really good, especially pitching at Wrigley again in front of the fans,” Steele said. “Really awesome just to be back with the team again, you know, in the locker room, hanging out with the guys and stuff."

Steele got a big ovation when he departed, and Richard Lovelady retired Luis Arraez for the final out of the fifth. Manager Craig Counsell then sent Lovelady (0-1) back out for the sixth, and San Diego jumped all over the left-hander.

Singles by Fernando Tatis Jr. and Cronenworth — along with a double steal — set up Jurickson Profar's two-run single through a drawn-in infield. Solano hit an RBI single off Daniel Palencia, and Campusano's three-run double lifted the Padres to a 6-0 lead.

“We get rewarded tonight by using the whole field,” manager Mike Shildt said. “It was a great inning for a big six spot.”

Chicago cut its deficit in half on Morel's two-run shot in the sixth and Gomes' solo drive in the seventh. But the rally fizzled from there.

The Cubs came up empty after they loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth. Jeremiah Estrada struck out Pete Crow-Armstrong swinging before he was replaced by Suarez, who fanned Gomes and retired Nico Hoerner on a popup to shortstop.

Suarez then worked a perfect ninth. The right-hander has allowed one run and seven hits in 15 1/3 innings this season.

“I mean that was tremendous. ... Robert comes in with his slow heartbeat in a big situation,” Shildt said.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Padres: 3B Manny Machado got the day off. The All-Star slugger is batting .287 (27 for 94) with three homers and 14 RBIs in his last 23 games.

Cubs: OFs Seiya Suzuki (right oblique strain) and Cody Bellinger (right rib fracture) worked out before the game once again, including batting practice. Counsell said Suzuki is going to need a rehab stint in the minors, but Bellinger could be activated by the team before it begins a six-game trip at Pittsburgh on Friday night. ... RHP Kyle Hendricks (low back strain) will make a rehab start for Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday.

UP NEXT

Randy Vásquez and Shota Imanaga take the mound on Tuesday night. Vásquez (0-1, 5.87 ERA) was recalled from Triple-A El Paso when the Padres placed right-hander Joe Musgrove on the 15-day injured list on Sunday. Imanaga (5-0, 0.78 ERA) is going for his fifth consecutive win for the Cubs.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele throws against the San Diego Padres during the second inning of a baseball game Monday, May 6, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago Cubs' Yan Gomes, right, grabs base coach Willie Harris after hitting a home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Monday, May 6, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner, left, catches San Diego Padres' Tyler Wade, right, who was trying to steal second during the eighth inning of a baseball game Monday, May 6, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner, left, catches San Diego Padres' Tyler Wade, right, who was trying to steal second during the eighth inning of a baseball game Monday, May 6, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

San Diego Padres' Ha-Seong Kim scores on a three-run double by Luis Campusano during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Monday, May 6, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

San Diego Padres' Ha-Seong Kim is hit by a pitch from Chicago Cubs pitcher Daniel Palencia during the sixth inning of a baseball game Monday, May 6, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish returns to the dugout after throwing against the Chicago Cubs during the second inning of a baseball game Monday, May 6, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia reported some 60 drones and several missiles shot down over its territory overnight into Sunday, with Ukraine in turn saying it destroyed over 30 Russian drones. Russia’s renewed offensive continues to play out in Ukraine’s war-ravaged northeast.

Russian air defenses shot down 57 Ukrainian drones over its southern Krasnodar region overnight Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry said Sunday morning.

Local military officials said drone debris hit an oil refinery in the town of Slavyansk-on-Kuban, but there was no fire or damage. Local news outlet Astra published videos appearing to show an explosion at the refinery as it was hit by a drone. The videos could not be independently verified.

Nine long-range ballistic missiles and a drone were destroyed over the Russia-occupied Crimean Peninsula, following Friday morning’s massive Ukrainian drone attack that cut off power in the city of Sevastopol.

A further three drones were shot down over the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine. According to regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov, a church roof was set on fire by falling drone debris, but there were no casualties.

The Russian-installed governor of Ukraine's partially occupied Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, said that one person died and 16 were wounded when a Ukrainian drone hit a minibus on Sunday morning.

In Ukraine, air force officials said air defense shot down all 37 Russian drones launched against the country overnight.

In the northeastern Kharkiv region, where Moscow recently launched a new offensive, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said Sunday morning that one person died and 11 were wounded as a result of shelling over the previous day.

Ukrainian troops are fighting to halt Russian advances in the Kharkiv region that began late last week.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday during a visit to China that Moscow’s offensive in the Kharkiv region aims to create a buffer zone but that there are no plans to capture the city.

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Morton reported from London.

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Follow AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurenkov and Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov during their meeting at the Kremlin, in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, May 18, 2024. (Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Ukrainian police officers look for fragments of a glide bomb in front of damaged house after a Russian airstrike on a residential neighbourhood in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Saturday, May 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A Ukrainian police officer and war crime prosecutor inspect fragments of a glide bomb in front of damaged house, after a Russian airstrike on a residential neighbourhood in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Saturday, May 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)