Ryan Ludwick hit a two-run home run and Aaron Harang remained perfect on the season as the visiting San Diego Padres beat the Chicago Cubs 5-4 on Wednesday night to salvage a split of a doubleheader and avert a three-game sweep.

Cameron Maybin and Chris Denorfia launched solo blasts to back six steady innings from Harang (4-0), who allowed two runs on nine hits while striking out five.

Closer Heath Bell, San Diego’s third reliever, picked up his fifth save and 39th in a row dating to last season.

Alfonso Soriano belted a two-run homer and Reed Johnson had three hits for Chicago, which notched a 2-1 win in the opener of the doubleheader on Johnson's walk-off homer in the 11th inning.

Ludwick and Denorfia had three hits apiece for baseball's worst-hitting team, which used the long ball to take control against spot starter James Russell (1-2), who lasted four-plus innings in his second start of the season.

The Cubs scored twice in the fifth on Johnson's RBI double and Dexter Barney's run-scoring single, and pulled within 5-4 on Soriano’s two-run blast off Chad Qualls in the eighth.