The San Diego Padres are moving on in the MLB playoffs after completing a two-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs in the National League Wild Card Series. San Diego closed out the series with a 4-1 victory at Petco Park, setting up an NLDS matchup with the Milwaukee Brewers.
After taking care of business against the Cubs, the Padres now face the National League’s No. 1 seed in a best-of-five Division Series beginning Saturday, Oct. 3.
Padres Advance After Beating Cubs
The Padres vs Cubs Wild Card Series ended with San Diego winning both games. The Padres followed their Game 1 victory with a 4-1 win in Game 2.
Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado helped lead the offensive effort in the opening game, while San Diego found contributions from other parts of the lineup in the series finale.
The Padres’ bullpen was particularly important in Game 2, shutting down the Cubs after Chicago scored its only run in the fourth inning.
For fans searching for the Padres game today, Padres score, or the latest San Diego Padres game information, the most important update is that San Diego has already secured its place in the NLDS.
Padres vs Cubs Game 2 Recap
The Cubs initially struggled to generate offense against San Diego’s pitching. The Padres opened the scoring in the second inning when Ty France doubled before Jackson Merrill followed with a hit and stole second.
Xander Bogaerts then delivered an RBI single, while Ethan Salas added another run with a sacrifice fly.
Chicago responded in the fourth inning. Seiya Suzuki singled, Ian Happ walked, and Nico Hoerner brought home a run with a double to make the score 2-1.
San Diego answered immediately.
Bogaerts doubled in the bottom of the fourth before pinch-hitter Gavin Sheets hit a decisive two-run home run. That blast pushed the Padres’ advantage to 4-1 and gave San Diego the cushion it needed.
The Cubs could not mount another rally as the Padres’ bullpen finished the game strongly.
Nick Pivetta Starts Game 2
Nick Pivetta started the elimination game for San Diego and worked 3⅓ innings. He allowed three hits, two walks and one run while striking out four.
The Padres then turned to their bullpen to protect the lead.
Brad Hand worked 1⅔ scoreless innings, José Ruiz added a scoreless inning, Adrian Morejón pitched two scoreless innings and Mason Miller closed out the game with a scoreless ninth.
That pitching combination helped the Padres complete the sweep and move into the Division Series.
Gavin Sheets Delivers the Key Blow
Gavin Sheets became one of the central figures in the Padres’ Game 2 victory.
His two-run homer in the fourth inning came immediately after Bogaerts’ double and changed the momentum of the game. Instead of allowing the Cubs to remain within striking distance, San Diego created a three-run advantage.
The Padres then relied on their bullpen to make that lead stand.
Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill Lead the Lineup
Fernando Tatis Jr. remains one of the biggest names in the Padres lineup. He started in right field in Game 2, with San Diego also featuring Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill, Xander Bogaerts and other key contributors.
Jackson Merrill also played an important role in the early stages of the game. He recorded a hit and stole second after Ty France’s double, helping put San Diego in position to score.
While Tatis Jr. and Machado combined for only one hit in eight at-bats in Game 2, the Padres demonstrated that their offense can receive production from throughout the lineup.
Chicago Cubs vs Padres Match Player Stats
The Chicago Cubs vs Padres match player stats from Game 2 highlighted the contrasting performances.
For San Diego, Nick Pivetta recorded four strikeouts over 3⅓ innings, while the bullpen kept Chicago scoreless for the remainder of the game.
Xander Bogaerts provided an RBI single and a double, while Gavin Sheets supplied the decisive two-run homer.
For Chicago, Nico Hoerner produced two doubles, including the RBI double that temporarily tied the game. Seiya Suzuki also collected a hit, but the Cubs could not generate enough offense against San Diego’s relievers.
Pete Crow-Armstrong, who had a huge regular season, went hitless in four at-bats in the elimination game.
Cubs Game Yesterday and Cubs Score Yesterday
The Cubs game yesterday ended with Chicago falling 4-1 to the Padres in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series.
Therefore, the Cubs score yesterday was:
Cubs 1, Padres 4
The result ended Chicago’s postseason run and sent San Diego into the NLDS.
Padres Next Opponent: Milwaukee Brewers
The Padres’ next opponent is the Milwaukee Brewers, who finished the regular season with a 103-59 record and entered the playoffs as the National League’s No. 1 seed.
That creates a major challenge for San Diego.
Milwaukee’s projected Game 1 starter is Jacob Misiorowski, who recorded 252 strikeouts during the regular season and carried a 0.80 WHIP into the postseason.
Logan Henderson is expected to follow in Game 2. The Brewers’ rotation also includes Dustin May and Kyle Harrison.
The Brewers reached this point by putting together the best regular-season record in baseball for the second consecutive year.
Padres NLDS Schedule
The Padres schedule for the NLDS against Milwaukee has been announced.
- Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 3 — Padres at Brewers, 8:30 p.m. ET
- Game 2: Sunday, Oct. 4 — Padres at Brewers, 4 p.m. ET
- Game 3: Tuesday, Oct. 6 — Brewers at Padres, time TBD
- Game 4: Wednesday, Oct. 7 — Brewers at Padres, time TBD, if necessary
- Game 5: Friday, Oct. 9 — Padres at Brewers, time TBD, if necessary
The series is a best-of-five matchup, meaning the first team to win three games advances.
What Comes Next for the Padres?
The Padres have completed the Padres vs Cubs portion of their playoff journey, but the competition becomes even tougher in the NLDS.
San Diego will have to deal with Milwaukee’s elite regular-season record and a pitching staff led by Misiorowski. At the same time, the Padres enter the series after winning both Wild Card games and receiving important contributions from their lineup and bullpen.
For fans following the Padres game, Padres score, San Diego Padres, SD Padres, and Padres schedule, the next major date is Oct. 3, when San Diego begins its NLDS series against Milwaukee.
The Cubs’ postseason is over, while the Padres now turn their attention fully toward October baseball and a best-of-five battle with the Brewers.
Leave a Reply