CHICAGO – He’s been able to pull off a lot so far in his first month as a member of the Cubs, but a major first happened for Dansby Swanson on Thursday.

The shortstop, who has shown more power over his last two seasons, hit his first home run as a member of the team against the Padres at Wrigley Field. It was the final big moment for the Cubs in a pleasant afternoon in which they defeated San Diego 5-2 to take the series 2-1.

Swanson’s long ball came in the seventh inning of his 23rd game of the season and was one of three the hosts hit on the afternoon. Eric Hosmer and Nelson Velazquez went back-to-back with solo shots in the second inning as the Cubs have now put at least one pitch into the seats in their last eight games.

This is another highlight for the shortstop in what’s been a consistent start to his Cubs’ career after signing a 7-year, $177 million contract. Before Thursday, he was hitting .274 with three doubles and five RBI, adding to that by going 2-for-4 with the homer and a single.

In his final two years with the Braves, where he spent his first seven seasons in Major League Baseball, Swanson saw an increase in his power numbers. He hit a career-high 27 during the 2021 season and then got 25 in 2022.

After Thursday’s win, the Cubs are now 14-10 on the season, three-and-a-half games behind the Pirates for first in the NL Central. They now hit the road for a seven-game road trip starting with a three-game series with the Marling in Miami starting Friday at 5:40 p.m. central time.