Song's first MLB HR rare bright spot of Padres' tough Wrigley visit

CHICAGO -- Sung-Mun Song rounded first base sprinting with his head down, unsure whether the line drive had enough power behind it.

By the time it settled into the right-field basket, the Padres finally had something to celebrate.

They just didn't have much else.

Song's first Major League home run provided one of the lone bright spots in an afternoon to forget, as the Padres were swept out of Wrigley Field with a 23-3 loss to the Cubs on Wednesday. San Diego fell to 43-42, five games behind the 49-38 Cubs, after dropping all three games to a club it could be chasing in the National League Wild Card race for the rest of the season.

"It only counts as one [loss]," manager Craig Stammen said. "We've got to remember that. ... [Things are] going as poorly as they can right now, and we've got to find a way to dig deep, dig our way out of that hole. I think there's some grit on this team, and we've got to dig deep for that.

"Still believe in ourselves, stay positive enough that we will get out of it. If we get negative, we turn on each other, we start pointing fingers -- that's when it'll turn into disaster. And I'm not going to be doing that."

For three days, the Padres experienced just about every type of loss imaginable.

Monday ended with a walk-off. Tuesday turned into a home run derby that slipped away late. Wednesday simply got out of hand from the jump.

The Cubs launched eight home runs, completing a sweep that underscored just how difficult this recent stretch has become for San Diego.

Still, amid the frustration, Song authored a moment he'll never forget.

The 29-year-old rookie from Seoul, South Korea, lined a double down the right-field line in his first at-bat before opening the fifth inning by turning on a fastball from Colin Rea, driving it into the basket in right for the first home run of his Major League career.

"I’ve had limited opportunities playing," Song said via interpreter Jun-seo Yi. "Today was Manny's off day, so I got to play third base, which is my original position. It felt really good. Besides the game result, I had great at-bats."

The milestone came in Song's 33rd Major League game and capped his third career multihit performance.

He admitted he wasn't even certain the ball had cleared the wall.

"I didn't know at first because it was a line drive," Song said. "I thought it bounced off the wall. Then I saw the umpire call it a home run."

Song has embraced a utility role since arriving in San Diego, spending extra time before games working with hitting coaches and preparing for sporadic opportunities, rather than the everyday routine he was accustomed to in Korea.

"I know our team has really good players," Song said. "I came here as a backup player, so I know that role. If I get an opportunity, I want to have great at-bats and play well."

Stammen believes those opportunities are beginning to pay off.

"He's been trending in the right direction as he's gotten a little bit more playing time," Stammen said. "He made a lot of great swings today. We know how great he is on defense. He'll always remember his first home run, and it was in Wrigley Field."

The rest of the afternoon, however, belonged to the Cubs.

Walker Buehler, who had been one of San Diego's most reliable starters over the past month, endured his toughest outing in weeks as Chicago's lineup took advantage of the hot, windy conditions that turned Wrigley into one of baseball's toughest places to pitch.

"Today's a game that got out of hand," Stammen said. "When the wind blows out here, these games can get a little out of hand."

Buehler wasn't interested in blaming the elements.

"This is the big leagues," Buehler said. "It doesn't matter what you throw. If you put it in the wrong spot to the wrong guy, they're going to handle it."

The Padres leave Chicago having been outscored 35-12 over three games against one of the National League's hottest clubs.

Thankfully, the standings only count it as one series.

The challenge now is making sure it doesn't become something more.

For one swing Wednesday afternoon, though, Song made a memory for life -- even if the rest of the week is one he and the Padres will be eager to leave behind.