San Diego Padres (7-4) at Chicago Cubs (5-4), 2:20 p.m. (ET)
(SportsNetwork.com) - Kris Bryant's much anticipated debut didn't exactly go as planned on Friday. He'll hope for better results this afternoon when the Chicago Cubs continue a three-game series with the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field.
Bryant was recalled from Triple-A Iowa on Friday and batted cleanup for the Cubs in their 5-4 loss to the Padres. The prized prospect's impact wasn't immediate, as he finished 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and left five men on base.
"Sure, I could have done a little better," Bryant said. "There's two sides to the ball, I felt I did well on defense."
San Diego intentionally walked Anthony Rizzo in the seventh to load the bases to face Bryant. He grounded out to end the threat, though.
"That's the situation you want to be in, and I sure hope to be in that situation again throughout my career," Bryant said. "I hope next time I get him."
The Padres benefited from a pair of home runs with Will Middlebrooks' two- run shot in the fourth and Wil Myers' three-run homer in the seventh that put San Diego up for good. Myers finished with three hits.
James Shields (2-0) gave up two runs in both the third and fifth innings and finished with four runs -- three earned -- allowed on five hits and two walks in six innings with nine strikeouts. Craig Kimbrel recorded the save despite allowing the tying run to reach scoring position in the ninth.
While Bryant struggled, Dexter Fowler collected three hits, and Jorge Soler and Rizzo each had RBI hits.
Cubs starter Jason Hammel was charged with four runs in 6 1/3 innings. He left with two runners on base in the seventh, and Brian Schlitter (0-1) allowed them both to score when he allowed Myers' home run.
Getting the call for the Padres on Saturday will be right-hander Tyson Ross, who picked up his first win his last time out. Ross beat the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, as he held them to three runs and five hits in six innings. He also stuck out eight batters, but did issue four free passes.
"It's a grind and I didn't have my best stuff today, but I'm going to give it everything I've got," Ross said. "The guys picked me up today."
Chicago, meanwhile, will counter with righty Kyle Hendricks, who was banged around his first time out. Hendricks couldn't get out of the fifth inning in Colorado on Sunday, as he was tagged for five runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 frames. However, he didn't get a decision in his team's 6-5 win.
"The feel just wasn't there," said Hendricks, who tossed seven scoreless innings to beat the Padres last season. "I don't know what it was. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how you feel, you have to make pitches, and I didn't make pitches. First one's out of the way."
San Diego won four of seven meetings with Chicago last season.