Zach Davies, Cubs offense have big night in 7-1 win over the Padres

SAN DIEGO — One night after the Padres’ vaunted offense put up nine runs, Cubs starter Zach Davies quieted the bats in San Diego and the Cubs offense had a big night of their own.

Davies set the table for the offense in the 7-1 win on Tuesday, getting into an early rhythm and going into cruise control. He didn’t allow a hit until Fernando Tatis Jr.’s broken-bat single in the fourth inning.

“[I’m] continuing to be aggressive with the way I attack hitters,” Davies said. “Not not trying to be too to fine in locations and not trying to be too much in one area. ... Just a constant mix [of all my pitches]. Been able to get ahead of hitters and throw strikes with all my pitches.”

The Cubs’ right-hander has found the feel for his changeup over his last few starts and after teams attacked the pitch early in season, he’s using it as well as he has with the Cubs. Davies got 10 swings-and-misses with nine coming on changeups.

Tatis’ single was the only base hit Davies would allow over six scoreless innings. He struck out four and walked two. Davies has a 2.16 ERA over his last eight starts.

“That’s the best pitching performance I’ve seen him have,” manager David Ross said after the win. “I thought the command of all his pitches was great. He was in, he was out. He really hammered the bottom of the zone nicely.”

“I’m going to go out there and I’m going to compete,” Davies said. “I’m going to try to go out and try to prove myself. But at the same time, I know that there’s there’s a long season ahead of us.”

The offense came up big for Davies and made sure he had plenty of run support. Catcher Willson Contreras got the Cubs on the board with a solo homer, crushing a hanging slider from Dinelson Lamet into the second deck for a 1-0 lead. The Cubs would break the game open in a four-run sixth inning.

“It’s nice to see him drive that ball to right center for the big double,” Ross said. “KB scoring from first. It’s always nice to watch him run. Really nice night for [Anthony]. Some big hits for us to put that thing away early on.”

First baseman Anthony Rizzo added some insurance with a two-run double, scoring Joc Pederson and Kris Bryant to make it 3-0.

Third baseman Patrick Wisdom continued his impressive stretch by launching a two-run blast to make it 5-0. It was Wisdom’s eighth homer in 10 starts this season and his seventh in his last nine games.

Rizzo closed the book on a big night for the offense with an opposite-field two-run blast in the seventh inning to make it 7-0.

“It feels good. Really good,” Rizzo said. “When you go awhile without [a homer], it starts to just be there. It just feels good, especially on a changeup and going with the pitch and putting a good swing on it feels nice.”