Matt Shaw Homers Off Jason Adam as Cubs Gain Breathing Room

Matt Shaw gave the Cubs breathing room on April 29, 2026, and he did it with his third hit of the day. The infielder took Jason Adam deep at Petco Park as Chicago kept pushing against the Padres while handling a ton of injuries.

Shaw At Petco Park

The home run came in a road game the Cubs needed against a tough Padres team, and Shaw’s swing turned a tight stretch into something more manageable. Chicago entered the day with a chance to win the series, so every extra base carried real weight.

Shaw’s day was already busy before the ball left the park. The homer was his third hit, and it arrived against a reliever who knows the Cubs well after leaving for San Diego.

Padres Relievers And Cubs Contact

Jason Adam was one of two former Cubs relievers who had become elite arms for the Padres, alongside Jeremiah Estrada. Shaw’s hit against Adam came at the point where Chicago needed to answer back and create space.

Pete Crow-Armstrong added to that support with a home run for the second straight game, giving the Cubs another jolt in the same matchup. The Cubs’ offense kept finding moments even as the roster dealt with a ton of injuries.

Corbin Martin later added a wrinkle to the game by walking the first three batters he faced after entering with a two-run lead. That put pressure back on Chicago’s margin, but Shaw’s homer had already given the Cubs a cushion they could work with.

Cubs Keep Pressure On

Chicago left Petco Park with the kind of at-bat that can keep a road series alive. Shaw’s third hit of the day was the biggest one, and it came at a time when the Cubs needed every bit of separation they could get.