There were a few firsts at Wrigley Field on Saturday. Matt Kemp hit his first home run as a Padre. Kris Bryant got his first hit and RBI as a big league ballplayer.
The Padres then overcame a 4-run, 9th-inning deficit for the first time in years to force bonus baseball, only to watch their All-Star closer take his first loss as a Padre. Chicago won 7-6 in 11 innings.
Kemp's dinger came in the first inning, a 2-run shot off Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks. After that, the San Diego bats were silenced. Until the 9th inning, that is.
Ross whiffed nine in 5.2 innings. He allowed Bryant's first hit, an RBI single in the 5th inning to score Dexter Fowler and tie the game at 2-2. In the 6th Ross gave up a solo home run to catcher Miguel Montero, who hit two homers in the game, the second coming an inning later off reliever Chris Rearick, who allowed the first run of his MLB career.
Down 6-2 in the 9th, the Padres bats erupted. Yonder Alonso singled, Matt Kemp singled, Justin Upton singled to score Alonso, Will Middlebrooks doubled to score Kemp, Jedd Gyorko hit in to a fielder's choice to score Upton, Alexi Amarista struck out, Yangervis Solarte ripped a pinch-hit single to score Middlebrooks and the game was all tied at 6. It was the second time this year the Padres have scored four runs in the 9th. They never got more than three runs in the 9th inning of any game in 2014.
That gave the Friars a chance to get their first extra-innings win of the season. Instead, Craig Kimbrel allowed a bases-loaded single to Chicago shortstop Starlin Castro and the Cubs walked off winners.
The Padres can get their first win in a road series on Sunday behind Andrew Cashner, who is looking for his first win of the year, against Cubs lefty Jon Lester, who would like to get his first win in a Cubs uniform.
