The Chicago Cubs seized the early advantage in the NL Wild Card Series, defeating the San Diego Padres 3-1 at Wrigley Field in front of a raucous home crowd. The win gave Chicago a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series and pushed San Diego to the brink, with the Padres now needing to win two straight to keep their season alive.
The Padres struck first, but the Cubs countered in emphatic fashion with back-to-back home runs in the fifth inning that completely changed the atmosphere. From there, Chicago’s bullpen delivered one of the cleanest late-game efforts you’ll see in October, retiring every batter it faced to secure the victory. The combination of timely power and flawless relief pitching put the Cubs in command of the series.
Turning Point in the Fifth Inning
San Diego opened the scoring in the second inning when Jackson Merrill doubled and Xander Bogaerts followed with an RBI double to make it 1-0. For a moment, it felt like the Padres had settled into the game and were ready to dictate the pace, especially with starter Nick Pivetta missing bats early. That quick strike gave them momentum, but it would not last long once the Cubs found their rhythm.
Chicago’s breakthrough came in the bottom of the fifth inning. Seiya Suzuki, who has been red hot down the stretch, launched a towering 424-foot homer to tie the game and bring the Wrigley crowd to its feet. Moments later, Carson Kelly followed with a solo shot of his own, giving the Cubs the lead in dramatic back-to-back fashion. That sequence flipped the momentum completely, turning a tense contest into one where Chicago suddenly had control, and the Padres were forced to chase the game.
Cubs Bullpen Delivers a Statement
After giving up the early run, Cubs starter Matthew Boyd settled in and worked into the fifth inning, keeping San Diego from building on its lead. Once Boyd exited, the bullpen took over, and it was lights out from that point forward. Daniel Palencia, Drew Pomeranz, Andrew Kittredge, and Brad Keller combined to record the final 15 outs without allowing a single Padre to reach base. It was as dominant a stretch of relief pitching as Chicago could have asked for in such a pivotal postseason game.
4.2 IP | 0 H | 0 BB | 0 R | 4 K
Absolutely nails.
The Padres, meanwhile, got a strong outing from Pivetta. He struck out nine batters over five innings and generally kept Chicago off balance outside of the two swings that cost him. But that’s the nature of playoff baseball–one or two mistakes can decide everything. Without any run support after the second inning, his effort ultimately went unrewarded.
What to Watch in Game 2
Game 2 looms as a must-win for San Diego and a golden chance for Chicago to close out the series at home. The Padres have already announced Dylan Cease as their Game 2 starter, with Yu Darvish penciled in for Game 3 if it comes to that. Chicago’s starter for Game 2 will be Kittredge.
Cease’s regular season was uneven; he posted a 4.55 ERA across 32 starts, but he also led the league in strikeouts per nine innings, making him a dangerous arm in a short series. His swing-and-miss stuff will be critical if he wants to keep Chicago’s offense in check. Meanwhile, the Cubs will lean on their bullpen strength again, knowing that even a quality start of 4-5 innings might be all they need.
Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 1 at 1:08 p.m. ET.
Cubs Beat Padres in Game 1 of NL Wild Card, Look to Close Out in Game 2