CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs overwhelmed the San Diego Padres 23-3 on Wednesday, matching a franchise record with eight home runs as Dansby Swanson hit three long balls and drove in a career-high eight runs to complete a three-game series sweep at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs extended their winning streak to five games with one of the most prolific offensive performances in club history. Swanson, batting ninth, homered in the third inning twice before adding a grand slam during an eight-run eighth inning. Michael Conforto hit two home runs, while Seiya Suzuki, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch also went deep as Chicago finished with 17 hits.
The 23 runs marked the Cubs' highest total in a home game since 1977, while the eight home runs tied the franchise record for a single game, according to Major League Baseball.
Suzuki's first-inning three-run homer was the 100th home run of his professional career, making him the fourth Japanese player to reach the milestone. Swanson finished with five home runs over the final two games of the series and has hit nine over his past 13 contests.
Chicago built an early advantage against Padres starter Walker Buehler, scoring three runs in the first inning and adding five more in the third to seize a commanding lead. Buehler allowed a career-high nine runs on seven hits over four innings and took the loss, falling to 5-4 on the season.
Cubs starter Colin Rea improved to 6-5 after allowing two runs on six hits across five innings. Jordan Wicks worked the final three innings to finish the game.
San Diego's few offensive highlights included Sung-Min Song's first major league home run. Manny Machado and Ty France each contributed doubles, but the Padres were unable to recover after Chicago's sustained barrage. Position player Rodolfo Duran pitched late in the game as the Cubs added eight runs in the eighth inning, with Swanson's grand slam capping the scoring.
The defeat was the worst in Padres franchise history, surpassing previous 19-run losses, and extended San Diego's losing streak to five games. Chicago, meanwhile, completed the sweep after winning 3-2 and 9-7 in the first two games of the series and heads into its next series seeking a sixth consecutive victory.
