With manager gone for a game, Padres pursue victory over Cubs

Bench coach Randy Knorr will be at the helm of the San Diego Padres when they host the Chicago Cubs in the finale of the teams' three-game series on Wednesday afternoon.

Knorr will fill in for manager Craig Stammen, who will be attending an out-of-town funeral. Stammen departed before the start of the eighth inning of San Diego's 8-3 loss Tuesday to catch a flight.

"We knew when he was going to leave," Knorr said. "We're going to miss him a lot (Wednesday)."

All-Star third baseman Manny Machado sat out Tuesday's game due to an ailing left leg, but the Padres could get him back for Wednesday's contest.

Knorr said Machado wants to play, and the acting manager would love to have him.

"It's still April," Knorr said, implying there was no reason to take a chance -- even on an injury later deemed minor -- this early in the season.

Knorr also noted that Machado -- who doubled twice Monday in a 9-7 win over Chicago before being removed from the game, and then got two homers and five RBIs Sunday during a 12-7 loss to Arizona -- is starting to get hot. In his past seven games, Machado is hitting .310 with two homers and six RBIs.

The same can't be said of San Diego pitching, which has yielded at least four runs in each of the past six games. The staff ran into control problems Tuesday night as five pitchers combined to walk six, toss three wild pitches and hit two batters. Three walks and a hit batter came around to score.

"It's hard to fall behind those guys and give them good pitches to hit," Knorr said of Chicago's batters.

San Diego's Matt Waldron (0-1, 12.46 ERA) hopes to turn his fortunes around in his third start since being called up from Triple-A El Paso. He allowed eight hits and six runs Thursday in the team's 10-8 win at Colorado, walking three and striking out three. This will be the right-hander's first career outing against the Cubs.

Chicago will counter with right-hander Jameson Taillon (1-1, 4.55 ERA), who last worked on Friday night at the Los Angeles Dodgers. He took a no-decision after giving up four runs on four hits and three walks with four strikeouts in his team's 6-4 victory.

He's 2-0 with a 2.40 ERA in five career starts against San Diego.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said he hopes that shortstop Dansby Swanson, who left the game on Tuesday in the second inning with a left glute cramp, will be able to play on Wednesday.

"He's feeling good," Counsell said of Swanson, who was injured while attempting to steal third base. "His hip and glute got jammed up a little bit. I'm optimistic that it's nothing serious."

Swanson got the scoring started by swatting a two-run double to left-center, giving him 23 RBIs, second on the team to Nico Hoerner's 26. Offense has been the calling card for the Cubs, who already have 40 homers after Pete Crow-Armstrong's three-run blast in the seventh broke Tuesday's game open.

Equally as pleasing for Counsell was his team's ability to get late outs from a depleted bullpen. After allowing four runs on Monday night, Chicago relievers retired all 10 men they faced on Tuesday to protect Edward Cabrera's third win, keeping the Padres from using their high-leverage relievers.

"Just playing with a lead against this team is enormous," Counsell said. "It's something you've got to do."

--Field Level Media