CHICAGO (AP) — Luke Voit hit a two-run homer and a three-run double as the San Diego Padres rallied from a five-run deficit to hand the Chicago Cubs their eighth straight loss, 12-5 on Tuesday night.
The Padres trailed 5-0 when Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks was pulled after allowing a double to Jake Cronenworth to start the sixth inning. Voit homered off reliever Chris Martin to spark a four-run sixth, and his double off Mychal Givens gave the Padres the lead for good at 7-5 and highlighted a six-run seventh.
The Padres, who entered Tuesday’s game tied with the Dodgers for first place in the NL West, have won six of eight. The Cubs’ skid is their longest since since losing 12 in a row from Aug. 5-16, 2021.
Willson Contreras homered twice, drove in three runs and scored three times on a 3-for-4 night for the Cubs. He leads major league catchers with 12 homers.
“I’m not rushing any at-bats,” Contreras said. “I’m taking my time, and it’s helped me a lot.”
Voit has 16 RBIs in his last 14 games after driving in three in his previous 15.
“He lengthens the lineup, especially in the middle,” Padres acting manager Ryan Flaherty said. “He’s producing in that 4-5 spot, it gives Manny (Machado) protection, and for the lineup as a whole, he adds fear there.”
The Padres’ rally took left-hander Sean Manaea off the hook. He was tagged for five runs on eight hits in four-plus innings. Kyle Tyler (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings in relief.
“For it (the comeback) to happen on one of my worst starts was huge,” Manaea said. “This team is something special.”
Nomar Mazara drove in three runs with singles in the sixth and seventh. Jorge Alfaro hit his fourth homer in the eighth off left-hander Eric Stout.
Hendricks, pitching for the first…
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