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Padres Host Cubs in Wild Card Game 1 Tuesday

By Drooid · Sep 30, 2026, 2:34 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Padres Host Cubs

The San Diego Padres host the Chicago Cubs in a best-of-three Wild Card Series.
Game 1 opens Tuesday at 7 p.m. PT at Petco Park.
Padres earned home-field advantage with a 41-18 record since July 24 and a 33-16 post-deadline run.
Michael King (R) will start for San Diego and Matthew Boyd (L) for Chicago.
San Diego’s postseason roster adds rookie catcher Ethan Salas, the youngest postseason catcher, and returning pitcher Joe Musgrove.

Summary

Cubs Top Stats

The Chicago Cubs led MLB in runs, slugging, OPS, OPS+, total bases and walks.
Their staff ranked among the four worst in pitching WAR, behind the Nationals, Royals, A’s and Rockies.
Injuries sidelined starter Ben Brown after 68 innings, leaving Shota Imanaga the only pitcher without an IL stint.
The Chicago White Sox became the first team ever to make the playoffs after consecutive 100-loss seasons.

History

Historical Context

In 1998, the San Diego Padres captured the National League pennant, defeating the Atlanta Braves three games to none and advancing to the World Series. That postseason featured 98 regular-season victories, a 5.6 run differential, and veteran pitcher Kevin Brown posting a 2.38 ERA overall in the league. Today's Wild Card clash mirrors that 1998 run, as the Padres rely on rookie catcher Ethan Salas and starter Michael King against the Chicago Cubs. If the Padres repeat the 1998 surge, they could secure their first World Series berth since 1998, reshaping franchise fortunes and MLB market dynamics.

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Padres Host Cubs

The San Diego Padres host the Chicago Cubs in a best-of-three Wild Card Series.
Game 1 opens Tuesday at 7 p.m. PT at Petco Park.
Padres earned home-field advantage with a 41-18 record since July 24 and a 33-16 post-deadline run.
Michael King (R) will start for San Diego and Matthew Boyd (L) for Chicago.
San Diego’s postseason roster adds rookie catcher Ethan Salas, the youngest postseason catcher, and returning pitcher Joe Musgrove.

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