Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (6/29/26): Cubs 3, Padres 2 – Suzuki Collects Walk-Off Hit Against Miller

The Cubs kept the good times going against the Padres on a hot Monday night at Wrigley Field. The game was deadlocked entering the final inning, and the home team came up clutch to earn their 10th walk-off victory of the season.

San Diego got on the board first against starter Shōta Imanaga with an RBI groundout by Fernando Tatís Jr. in the top of the 3rd. Xander Bogaerts doubled in the 4th to increase the advantage to 2-0.

Chicago responded in the bottom of the frame against Griffin Canning with an RBI single by Michael Conforto. The home squad tied the game in the 5th when Seiya Suzuki hit a sacrifice fly to center.

Both teams failed to cash in on bases-loaded opportunities, and the game remained even heading into the 9th. The North Siders loaded the bags again with nobody out in the bottom of that frame with closer Mason Miller on the mound. Suzuki came through, hitting a deep fly ball that bounced off the left field wall for a very long walk-off single and a 3-2 win. (Box score)

Key Moment

One batter before Suzuki in the 9th, Michael Busch flew out to shallow left field, and Dansby Swanson was thrown out at home trying to tag from third with the winning run. The Cubs could have easily folded at that point, but the next man up came through and sealed the victory.

Why the Cubs Won

A quality start and more good work from the bullpen put them in position to win it at the end.

Stats That Matter

• Imanaga did a good job avoiding the homer on a friendly night for the hitters: 6.1 IP, 2 R, 9 H, 4 K, and 0 BB.
• Suzuki has 8 RBI in his last four games played.
• Alex Bregman had two singles and a walk.

Bottom Line

The Cubs are back to finding ways to win like they were doing in April and May. It feels like this team has played three different seasons in just three months. Working with such a makeshift pitching staff means it won’t always be pretty, but winning is all that matters in the end. They have been successful enough the past couple weeks to justify being aggressive in the trade market to obtain more pitching help. Solidifying that group could make the Cubs contenders going forward.

On Deck

Game two of the series is Tuesday night at 7:05pm CT. Matthew Boyd gets the nod against fellow lefty JP Sears in a matchup available on Marquee with a radio feed on The Score.