The San Diego Padres headed to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Cubs for a three-game weekday series starting on Monday night.

San Diego (43-39) looks to get back on track after dropping back-to-back games to the Dodgers. Chicago (46-38) is seeking a third straight win after taking the weekend series in Milwaukee, taking on the first-place Brewers.

Griffin Canning got the nod for the Padres on Monday. This would be Canning’s first start since June 12th, with his last two outings coming in relief after the opener. Canning has a 7.38 ERA in 42 2/3 innings.

Shota Imanaga had the starting duties for Craig Counsell and his Cubs. In 19 1/3 regular-season innings against the Padres, Imanaga has pitched to a 1.40 ERA.

Cronenworth’s return

In a pair of roster moves, Jake Cronenworth returns from the concussion IL and appears in his first big league game since May 4th. Bradgley Rodriguez also joins the team after 10 days off for some scheduled rest. David Morgan has been placed on the 15-day IL with left knee inflammation, and Will Wagner has been optioned back down to Triple-A El Paso.

Monday at Wrigley. pic.twitter.com/TpcHOBRThP

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) June 29, 2026

The Padres jump on top first

A Fernando Tatis Jr. fielder’s choice brings in Xander Bogaerts to get San Diego on top in the third.

Fernando Tatis Jr.’s RBI fielder’s choice makes it 1-0 #Padres over the Cubs #forthefaithful pic.twitter.com/XBlpbQedXy

— Padres Highlights (@FriarHighlights) June 30, 2026

Doubles by Miguel Andujar and Xander Bogaerts would extend the Padre lead to 2.

Double, double, this, this. Double, double, that, that. pic.twitter.com/64JN9oOSVb

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) June 30, 2026

Cub respond

Michael Conforto‘s two-out RBI single would cut the Padre lead in half in the fourth.

michael conforto ? seiya suzuki. pic.twitter.com/11evHKTw6E

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) June 30, 2026

Canning goes 4 1/3 innings

The starter Griffin Canning, through 4 1/3 innings pitched, allowed two earned runs on five hits by the Cubs. Canning walked two men while striking out three. The Cubs whiffed eight total times against Canning. He’d toss just 75 pitches with 40 of them being for strikes. Canning left the game with runners on first and second. Kyle Hart came in relief in the fifth inning for the lefty-lefty matchup against Michael Busch.

Hart escapes damage

Busch walked to load up the bases for Seiya Suzuki. A sacrifice fly by Suzuki tied the game at two apiece.

a sac fly and we are tied! pic.twitter.com/UejMJtVNQ2

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) June 30, 2026

Kyle Hart struck out Ian Happ on a 3-2 pitch to end the inning and keep the score at 2-2 going into the sixth. Just 12 pitches and facing three batters would end Hart’s outing.

Bradgley is back, Morejón stays dominant

To begin Bradgley Rodriguez’s outing, the first two men reached base safely. Rodriguez then got two massive strikeouts of Miguel Amaya and Dansby Swanson to keep both runners at first and second for Adrián Morejón. Morejon came in for the leadoff man in Pete Crow-Armstrong, who he’d walk to load the bases for Alex Bregman. Bregman flew out to right field to end the sixth and get out of the jam for the Padres and Morejón.

Adrián Morejón went back out to pitch for the Padres in the bottom of the seventh, in a 2-2 game. Busch and Suzuki both punched out, and Happ grounded out for a clean 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh. The hard-throwing Rodriguez and Morejón combined for two clean innings, with each striking out a pair of Cubs.

Adam is good for the eighth, not the ninth

The Padres eighth inning man, Jason Adam, entered the game in the eighth with the game still tied at 2. Adam retired the Cubs to advance the game into the ninth inning, still tied.

With the score being 2-2 going into the bottom of the ninth, Adam went out for a second inning of work. Swanson and Pete Crow-Armstrong both singled to start the bottom half. This would end Adam’s outing, and Mason Miller would enter with traffic already on base.

The first batter that Miller would face, Alex Bregman, dunked a single into center field that would load the bases with no outs for the left-handed Michael Busch.

Busch flies out to the new left-fielder, Jase Bowen, and Bowen throws out Swanson at the dish to keep the game alive.

JASE BOWEN SAYS NO pic.twitter.com/LhsmJo6wxT

— Talking Friars (@TalkingFriars) June 30, 2026

Two pitches later, Seiya Suzuki walks it off for the Cubs despite the great effort by Bowen.

SEIYA SUZUKI WALKS IT OFF FOR THE @CUBS! pic.twitter.com/mWZD8Brrne

— MLB (@MLB) June 30, 2026

Recap

Trent Thornton, who pitched a scoreless ninth for the Cubs, received his third win of the season.

Although Miller was pitching when the game concluded, Adam’s runner would come in to score the winning run. That led to Adam’s second loss of 2026.

In a game where runs came at a premium, the Padres’ bats with runners in scoring position went 2 for 11.

San Diego drops to 43-40, as Chicago improves to 47-38.

Tuesday at Wrigley

Game two of this three-game series will continue on Tuesday. A pair of southpaws are expected to duel, with JP Sears being the probable starter for San Diego and Matthew Boyd for the Cubs

. Sears looks to build off of his strong 2026 Padres debut against Atlanta on June 24, where he’d collect the win and just allow two earned runs. The Padres will try to do what they did to Boyd earlier in the season back at Petco Park. San Diego’s offense tagged Boyd for five runs off eight hits. First pitch at Wrigley Field is scheduled for 5:05 PM PT/7:05 PM CT.

Angel Flores

Angel grew up a San Diego sports fan, following the Padres, SDSU athletics, San Diego FC, as well as the Chargers. He is currently a third year community college student, and will transfer to SDSU to pursue a career in Journalism.