KENNEDY'S TURNAROUND GAINS MOMENTUM

Pads Eke Past Cubs in Pitcher's Duel

SAN DIEGO, May 25 (AP) - Ian Kennedy held the Chicago Cubs to just one hit over 6 2/3 shutout innings, leading the San Diego Padres to a 1-0 victory at Petco Park.  It was the second straight scoreless start for Kennedy, who, after scuffling mightily over his first nine starts of the season, fired seven shutout innings against the Minnesota Twins on May 20, earning him National League Pitcher of the Week honors.  Over his last two starts, Kennedy has allowed just two hits while walking three and striking out 23 over 13 2/3 innings 

Kennedy out-dueled Cubs starter Jason Hammel, who allowed only one run on two hits over seven innings, in a game that featured only six safeties in total.

The Padres scored what would prove to be the game's only run in the second inning.  Chase Headley led off with a single and stole second, then advanced to third on Yonder Alonso's long fly ball to center.  Jedd Gyorko drew a walk from Hammel and Cameron Maybin flied out to shallow right, with the runners holding.  But Rene Rivera came through with a two-out base hit to center field, scoring Headley to give the Padres a 1-0 lead.

Hammel allowed only one more baserunner--he hit Seth Smith with a pitch with two outs in the third--before being lifted for a pinch hitter in the eighth inning.  Hammel retired the last 13 batters he faced.

But Kennedy was even better.  He retired the first 10 Cubs hitters before surrendering a one-out single to Junior Lake in the fourth inning.  He then set down the next nine batters he faced before hitting Anthony Rizzo with a pitch with one out in the top of the seventh.  This would prove to be the Chicago's best scoring opportunity of the contest.  Starlin Castro followed Rizzo by drawing a five-pitch walk, Kennedy's only free pass of the game, putting runners on first and second with one out.  Kennedy then appeared to escape damage, inducing Luis Valbuena to ground a tailor made double play ball to shortstop Everth Cabrera, but Cabrera booted the ball for an error, loading the bases.  Kennedy rose to the occasion, striking out Mike Olt, bringing Nate Schierholtz to the plate with two outs and the sacks filled.  San Diego manager Bud Black summoned lefty Troy Patton, just acquired from the Baltimore Orioles in a trade for catcher Nick Hundley, from the bullpen.  Patton made short work of Schierholtz, striking him out on three pitches to avoid damage.

Patton retired pinch hitter Wellington Castillo to open the top of the eighth, then gave way to Joaquin Benoit when Darwin Barney hit for Hammel.  But Barney greeted Benoit with a double to the wall in left-center, putting the tying run in scoring position with one out.  Benoit got Emil Bonafacio on a roller to first, with Barney moving to third, before retiring pinch hitter Ryan Kalish on a grounder to short to end the inning.

Huston Street took over for Benoit in the ninth and got Rizzo and Castro for the first two outs before yielding a base hit to Valbuena.  But he struck out Olt to end the game, earning his 13th save in the process.

5/25/2014, ChN14-SD14, PETCO Park

                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP

2014 Cubs              0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0     0  3  0     6  0

2014 Padres            0  1  0  0  0  0  0  0  x     1  3  1     4  0

Cubs                 AB  R  H BI   AVG    Padres               AB  R  H BI   AVG

Bonifacio         cf  4  0  0  0  .272    Cabrera,E         ss  4  0  0  0  .197

Lake              lf  3  0  1  0  .176    Venable           rf  4  0  0  0  .223

 Kalish           ph  1  0  0  0  .301    Smith,S           lf  2  0  0  0  .248

Rizzo             1b  3  0  0  0  .278    Headley           3b  3  1  1  0  .274

Castro,S          ss  3  0  0  0  .300    Alonso            1b  3  0  0  0  .229

Valbuena          2b  4  0  1  0  .215    Gyorko            2b  2  0  0  0  .182

Olt               3b  4  0  0  0  .127     Benoit           p   0  0  0  0  .000

Schierholtz       rf  3  0  0  0  .189     Street           p   0  0  0  0  .000

Baker,Jo          c   2  0  0  0  .159    Maybin            cf  3  0  0  0  .205

 Castillo,W       ph  1  0  0  0  .220    Rivera            c   3  0  2  1  .235

Hammel            p   2  0  0  0  .100    Kennedy           p   2  0  0  0  .250

 Barney           ph  1  0  1  0  .204     Patton,T         p   0  0  0  0  .000

 Schlitter        p   0  0  0  0  .000     Amarista         2b  0  0  0  0  .221

                     31  0  3  0                               26  1  3  1

Cubs                             INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Hammel           L 4-2           7.0  2  1  1  1  4  79  58  2.31

Schlitter                        1.0  1  0  0  0  0  10   8  4.86

                                 8.0  3  1  1  1  4  89  66

Padres                           INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Kennedy          W 4-6           6.2  1  0  0  1  9  88  57  4.34

Patton,T         H 1             0.2  0  0  0  0  1   7   6  6.75

Benoit           H 4             0.2  1  0  0  0  0   7   7  0.47

Street           S 13            1.0  1  0  0  0  2  17  11  1.86

                                 9.0  3  0  0  1 12 119  81

ChN: Castillo,W batted for Baker,Jo in the 8th

     Barney batted for Hammel in the 8th

     Kalish batted for Lake in the 8th

     Kalish moved to lf in the 8th

     Castillo,W moved to c in the 8th

SD : Amarista inserted at 2b in the 8th

E-Cabrera,E. 2B-Barney(5). RBI-Rivera(9). SB-Headley(1). K-Bonifacio, Lake,

Rizzo 2, Olt 3, Schierholtz 2, Baker,Jo, Hammel 2, Venable, Smith,S, Gyorko,

Kennedy. BB-Castro,S, Gyorko. SH-Amarista. HBP-Rizzo, Smith,S. HB-Hammel,

Kennedy.

GWRBI: Rivera

Temperature: 75, Sky: clear, Wind: left to right at 18 MPH.

Attendance: 37,024

Game Time: 2:30