Padres 9, Cubs 7: Ty France Drives In Four as San Diego Keeps Rolling

The lead

April 27, 2026 - San Diego - The San Diego Padres kept their April surge moving with a 9-7 win over the Chicago Cubs, using a four-RBI night from Ty France and another strong game from Manny Machado to survive a late push at Petco Park.

This was not a tidy win. The Padres led early, fell behind on a Cubs grand slam, rallied back, added insurance, and then watched closer Mason Miller allow his first runs in a long time. But San Diego still finished the job, improving to 19-9 and continuing one of the hottest stretches in the league.

France was the AthX Engine hitting star of the day, finishing atop the Apr. 27 hitter board with 13 hitting fantasy points. He drove in two runs in the first and two more in the seventh, turning San Diego's pressure innings into real separation.

How the game turned

San Diego jumped ahead before the Cubs could settle in. Jackson Merrill singled home the first run, and France followed with a ground-rule double that scored Merrill and Machado for a 3-0 lead. For a Padres team that had not scored many first-inning runs this season, it was a sharp opening.

Chicago answered with power. Seiya Suzuki homered in the second, then rookie catcher Moises Ballesteros crushed a grand slam in the third to put the Cubs up 5-3. That swing could have changed the whole night. Instead, San Diego kept making Chicago pitch under pressure.

Machado doubled to start the fifth, France walked, and Nick Castellanos delivered the hit that pushed San Diego ahead 6-5. In the seventh, France struck again, driving a two-run triple down the left-field line to bring home Xander Bogaerts and Miguel Andujar. Gavin Sheets added a solo homer in the eighth, and that insurance mattered more than expected.

Pitching and matchup notes

Randy Vasquez got the win despite allowing a season-high five runs on five hits over five innings. He walked three and struck out four. It was not dominance, but it was enough length to keep the Padres from overexposing the bullpen too early.

Chicago starter Matthew Boyd lasted four-plus innings and was charged with five runs on eight hits and two walks. The Cubs had a lead after Ballesteros' slam, but they could not hold San Diego down once the lineup turned over.

The ninth inning added another layer. Miller entered with a long scoreless streak dating back to last season, but Chicago scored twice and ended that run at 34 2/3 innings, a Padres record. The Cubs got the tying run closer than San Diego wanted, but Miller still recorded the final out.

Bats that changed the board

France was the obvious engine. His first-inning double gave the Padres early control, and his seventh-inning triple gave them the cushion they needed. Machado had a single and two doubles, scored three times, and reached 400 career doubles before exiting as a precaution with a sore calf after a hard slide, according to AP coverage.

The Cubs had real damage too. Suzuki stayed hot with another homer, and Ballesteros' grand slam gave Chicago a lead. But after a 10-game winning streak, the Cubs have now dropped three straight. The offense is still dangerous; the issue Monday was keeping San Diego's lineup from answering every time.

AthX Engine fantasy angle

The Padres ranked second on the Apr. 27 AthX Engine team board with 14 team fantasy points, and France led all hitters with 13 AthX Engine hitting FP. Machado added another strong hitting score with 8, giving San Diego two of the day's best player-market signals.

This was a classic high-volume hitter game. France did not need a homer because the extra-base hits came with runners on. Machado's run-scoring profile mattered too. AthX Engine rewards the sequence, not just the final line.

What comes next

The Padres and Cubs continue the series with San Diego trying to protect its hot April and Chicago trying to stop the slide after a long winning streak. For AthX traders, France is the immediate name because his run-producing role showed up clearly. Machado's health is the next watch point, because the Padres' offensive ceiling changes if he misses time.

This game had enough mess to keep both teams honest, but it also showed why San Diego keeps winning. The Padres got punched, answered fast, and had the better run-producing swings late.

*Sources: MLB.com schedule, MLB Gameday, Reuters/AP coverage of Padres-Cubs, CBS Sports GameTracker, and AthX Engine scoring. Information only; not financial advice.*