MIGUEL DIAZ

Zach Davies allowed just one hit in six scoreless innings, Anthony Rizzo homered and drove in four runs, and Patrick Wisdom went deep again for the Chicago Cubs as they defeated the San Diego Padres 7-1.

The Giants have won six of eight and continue to be a surprise contender alongside the Dodgers and Padres in the NL West. Cole's 1.78 ERA is tops in the American League, and his 97-to-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio was best in the majors entering Wednesday. MLB has suspended four minor league pitchers — two in the White Sox system, one with San Francisco and another with Texas — after umpires ejected them for having illicit sticky stuff. Many believe the proliferation of those foreign substances is partially responsible for baseball’s offensive freefall. The league increased its monitoring of baseballs in the majors this season in an effort to suppress use of foreign substances, but that investigative work hasn't led to any suspensions.

The surging Chicago Cubs are headed west for a series in San Francisco having won three straight and nine of 10.

Padres Cubs Baseball Chicago Cubs' Javier Baez (9) talks to Anthony Rizzo at home plate after Baez's two-run home run off San Diego Padres relief pitcher Miguel Diaz in the seventh inning of a baseball game Wednesday, June 2, 2021, in Chicago. San Diego lost its fourth straight, its longest skid since last August. San Diego didn't provide an immediate update on either player. Moments before the collision between Kim and Pham, the Cubs tied it at 1 when Rizzo raced home on Eric Hosmer’s error at first. Cubs: Cubs RHP Zach Davies (2-2, 4.65) will take the mound versus Giants RHP Anthony DeSclafani (4-2, 3.56) in the opener of a four-game series in San Francisco on Thursday.

Javier Báez lined a two-run homer, Anthony Rizzo had two doubles among three hits and the surging Chicago Cubs beat the San Diego Padres 6-1 on for their third straight win and ninth in 10 games.

The San Diego Padres already were minus star Fernando Tatis Jr. and two backups before the first pitch at Colorado because of COVID-19 concerns.

Joe Raedle | Getty ImagesThe number of workers filing for unemployment claims could again top 5 million for the week ended April 11, but the filings may also be peaking. In the prior three weeks, the number of claims totaled 16.8 million. According to Dow Jones, economists' consensus forecast is 5 million for the week ended last Saturday, down from 6.6 million the week earlier. Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics, said he expects another 6 million claims when the weekly report is released at 8:30 a.m. They also expect unemployment could reach the high teens, from 4.4% in March and 3.5% in February.