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Cubs eye back-to-back wins over Padres

May 29, 2012 - 3:21 PM (Sports Network) - The Chicago Cubs can turn a 12-game skid into a two-game streak today when they host the San Diego Padres in game two of a three-game series at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs entered Monday's opener just two games from a franchise-record 14 losses in a row, but finally ended the futility when Alfonso Soriano clubbed three hits - including a two-run blast in the sixth - in an 11-7 victory.

Soriano finished with three RBI and scored twice, Ian Stewart and Starlin Castro each added two-run homers and three RBI and Darwin Barney smacked a solo shot.

Randy Wells (1-1) got the win despite allowing one run on three hits in just 1 2/3 innings in relief of starter Travis Wood, who surrendered six runs on seven hits and three walks over five frames.

San Diego's Alex Hinshaw (0-1) absorbed the loss after serving up Soriano's two-run blast in the sixth. Jeff Suppan went five innings in the start, yielding six runs on six hits as the Padres dropped their fourth straight.

Chase Headley homered twice and knocked in three runs while Carlos Quentin went 1-for-4 with an RBI in his first game with the Padres after missing 49 games while recovering from surgery on his right knee.

The 27-year-old Samardzija, who was 8-4 in 75 relief appearances for the Cubs last season, opened 2012 in the starting rotation and won four of his first five decisions before a recent drought that's seen him go winless since May 7.

He allowed a run on three hits in five innings of Chicago's 8-2 triumph at Milwaukee on May 13, but has since dropped two straight verdicts while giving up 12 hits and five runs in 13 1/3 innings against the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros.

Samardzija has faced San Diego twice in relief in his career, winning one decision while surrendering three hits in 2 1/3 scoreless innings with four walks and four strikeouts.

He's 2-1 in four starts at Wrigley this year with a 1.52 earned run average.

For the Padres, journeyman lefty Eric Stults makes his fourth start of the season and third in a San Diego uniform.

The 32-year-old Indiana native was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2002 and debuted for them in 2006, ultimately winning eight times in 35 appearances before his contract was purchased by Hiroshima of the Japanese Central League in March 2010.

He was signed as a free agent by the Colorado Rockies and made six relief outings in 2011, then joined the Chicago White Sox and tossed 6 2/3 innings in a start and a relief stint this season before he was waived and picked up by the Padres on May 17.

Stults allowed two runs on four hits in a no-decision against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on May 19, then picked up a victory with five innings of four-hit, one-run ball in an 11-5 defeat of the New York Mets five days later.

He's 0-2 lifetime against the Cubs with an 8.59 ERA in 7 1/3 innings.