Chi. Cubs 5, San Diego 2

Alfonso Soriano hit two home runs and Ryan Dempster pitched seven stellar innings as the Chicago Cubs dumped the struggling San Diego Padres 5-2 on Tuesday night at Petco Field.

The loss dropped the Padres (87-70) two games behind the San Francisco Giants (88-68) in the National League West with five games to play and 1 ½ games back of the Atlanta Braves (89-69) in the wild card race. Atlanta beat Florida 3-2 and the Giants beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-2.

Soriano snapped a 2-2 tie with a two-run homer off San Diego ace Mat Latos (14-9) in the sixth and added his 24th dinger in the eighth. He doubled and scored the only run in Chicago’s 1-0 win on Monday.

Dempster (15-11) yielded two runs and four hits with nine strikeouts to improve to 11-6 in his last 19 starts. He escaped trouble in the seventh when he allowed the first two batters to reach base before striking out the side.

Carlos Marmol picked up his second straight save in the series and 36th of the season with a spotless ninth inning.

Nick Hundley hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning to snap a 20-inning scoreless drought for the Padres, who have lost three straight and scored just 16 runs in its last seven games.

Latos carried a no-hitter into the fourth, but he committed error in that frame contributed to two unearned runs. The 22-year-old righty departed after 5 2/3 innings, surrendering two earned runs and seven hits in losing his fourth straight start.

• San Diego will play their next game at home against Chi. Cubs. The Padres have a W/L % of .552 after a win and .559 after a loss.
• Chi. Cubs will play their next game on the road against San Diego. The Cubs have a W/L % of .389 after a win and .524 after a loss.