Story summary
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. hit the first leadoff homer in Padres playoff history on the Cubs’ first pitch, Michael King took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and San Diego rolled to an 8-0 victory over Chicago in their NL Wild Card Series opener on Tuesday night. Nico Hoerner got Chicago’s only hit off King with a one-out infield single in the seventh. Manny Machado also homered in the first inning and added an RBI double in the third during an emphatic opening statement by the 91-win Padres. Xander Bogaerts also homered off Cubs starter Matthew Boyd, and Jackson Merrill added a two-run single later. King struck out eight over seven innings while thoroughly throttling the majors’ highest-scoring team. The series continues with Game 2 on Wednesday night at Petco Park. San Diego leads the best-of-three series 1-0. The winner will face the MLB-best Milwaukee Brewers in the best-of-five division series. Back in 1984, Tony Gwynn and Steve Garvey led the Padres to their first World Series appearance using home-field energy at Jack Murphy Stadium. Current players like Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado hope to replicate that success with the support of 3,347,081 fans this season, second only to the Dodgers in total attendance. Last year, San Diego lost 2-1 to the Cubs in a Wild Card game at Wrigley Field. Chicago is now +108 to win Game 2, with the total set at 7.5 runs. Michael King’s performance silenced any doubts about his ability against strong lineups, setting up a potential series clincher for San Diego. The Padres' win marked an emphatic response to Chicago's regular-season dominance and humiliation in July. Hoerner reached on an infield single when Machado couldn’t field cleanly enough to make the play. King’s no-hit bid ended in the seventh inning but he struck out two more batters before being relieved. San Diego is now -131 favorites for Game 2, looking to build momentum and control their path to the division series against Milwaukee. The Cubs' lineup, known for its high walk rate and low strikeout percentage, struggled mightily against King’s approach that induced weak contact despite lower than average strikeouts and walks compared to league standards. Matthew Boyd started for Chicago but was unable to prevent an early deficit due to Tatis Jr.’s leadoff homer and Machado’s first-inning blast. This sets the stage for a pivotal Game 2 where San Diego aims to secure their place in the division series with another strong performance. San Diego hopes to continue leveraging their home-field advantage against Chicago, who now face an uphill battle in reversing last year's elimination at Wrigley Field. The Padres' strategy seems focused on capitalizing on King’s ability to neutralize high-power lineups while maintaining solid defensive support from Machado and others. If successful, San Diego will move closer to avenging their postseason loss from the previous season. The series remains heavily contested, with each team aware of the importance of leveraging home-field energy for a potential division series berth against Milwaukee’s formidable pitching rotation. The focus now shifts to Wednesday night's Game 2 at Petco Park, where San Diego will look to extend their lead and advance further in the playoffs.
Written for “Padres Cubs Wild Card Series” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 12 other(s) covering the same event.
October baseball always has a funny way of bringing old enemies together, only this time there’s a change of address.
asserted
baseball → have → address
One year after the Chicago Cubs eliminated the San Diego Padres in three games at Wrigley Field in the 2025 National League Wild Card Series, the two teams will meet again in a rematch Tuesday night at Petco Park.
asserted
teams → eliminate → Park
The Cubs won five of six meetings between the teams this season, including a football score of 23-3 back in July.
asserted
Cubs → win → July
The Cubs also bring baseball’s most productive offense, an extraordinary defense, and the likely NL MVP in Pete Crow-Armstrong.
asserted
Cubs → bring → Armstrong
The Padres caught fire during the final two months of the season, finishing with the best record in baseball over their final 59 games at 41-18, earning the right to have the sequel held at Petco Park.
asserted
sequel → catch → Park
Here’s how the California Post views the matchup this season:
asserted
Post → ’ → matchup
Cubs offense vs. Padres pitching
Advantage: Padres
The Cubs can rake.
asserted
Cubs → rake → pitching
They led the majors in OPS and the NL in homers this season.
asserted
They → lead → homers
Alex Bregman, in his first season with the Cubs, has been bludgeoning opponents.
asserted
Bregman → bludgeon → opponents
He returned from taking a foul ball off the face by going 4-for-4 with two homers in Chicago’s final game of the regular season on Sunday.
asserted
He → return → Sunday
However, the Padres possess the weapon that everyone in the postseason wants: a lights out bullpen.
asserted
everyone → possess → postseason
It essentially shrinks the game from nine innings to six when you have three relievers capable of dominating the opposing lineup.
asserted
you → shrink → lineup
If San Diego has questions, it’s their starting pitching.
asserted
it → have → questions
Michael King is expected to start Game 1 on Tuesday after a 3.21 ERA this season.
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King → expect → ERA
The Padres just need him to get through six innings with the lead so they can hand the ball to Adrian Morejon, Bradgley Rodriguez and Mason Miller to close it out.
asserted
they → need → it
The Cubs’ offense has a simple mission: damage the Padres starter and knock him out of the game before the bullpen door swings open with any of the aforementioned relievers.
asserted
door → have → relievers
Advantage: Padres
San Diego’s offense lacked a spark in the first half of the season.
asserted
offense → lack → season
At one point they were 50-53 on July 23 and on the outside looking in of the MLB Playoffs.
asserted
they → look → Playoffs
But then Fernando Tatis Jr. found his power, and Jackson Merrill started to look like the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year runner-up again.
asserted
Merrill → find → up
At the same time the Padres offense flipped the power switch, the Cubs starting rotation started to sputter.
asserted
rotation → flip → switch
Kevin Gausman, acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays at the trade deadline, has an injury to his non-throwing shoulder and his availability is in question.
asserted
availability → acquire → question
Matthew Boyd offers stability, as does Shota Imanga, but the Cubs’ greatest weapon might be their defense behind their starters.
uncertain
weapon → offer → starters
Chicago’s defense this season has been spectacular and that can only breathe confidence into their starting staff as the series develops.
asserted
series → breathe → staff
It’s Miller Time!
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It → ’ → ?
The absolute worst place the Cubs want to find themselves is trailing going into the top of the ninth inning.
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Cubs → want → inning
Because that’s when Miller, one of baseball’s most overpowering relievers, is at his absolute best.
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Miller → ’ → best
On the bright side, the Cubs have had previous success against Miller, but voluntarily making him the obstacle standing in the way between you and advancing to the NLDS is not the best way to spend the end of September.
2.
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him → have → September
PCA’s MVP season needs to turn into October stardom
Crow-Armstrong’s 2025 postseason was forgettable: .185 with no extra-base hits in 29 plate appearances against San Diego and Milwaukee.
asserted
postseason → need → Diego
His 2026 regular season saw him become a 40-40 superstar and the likely NL MVP.
asserted
him → see → ?
The playoffs is now his opportunity to introduce this year’s version of himself to the world.
asserted
playoffs → introduce → world
For the Cubs to advance, PCA will need to be the MVP of the series.
asserted
PCA → advance → series
The Cubs can have confidence going into the Wild Card series knowing that they dominated the Padres during the regular season, but it can’t give them false security.
asserted
it → have → security
As we’ve seen in the past, including when the Brewers swept the Dodgers in six games in the 2025 regular season, only to see Los Angeles sweep Milwaukee in four games in the NLCS, regular season success doesn’t translate to the postseason.
asserted
success → see → postseason
The Padres team that lost five of six to Chicago before the All-Star break is not the same team that will be waiting at Petco Park.
asserted
that → lose → Park
San Diego’s lineup improved dramatically, the pitching staff stabilized and the Padres arrive playing their best baseball.
asserted
Padres → improve → baseball
You just can’t drive while staring into it.
asserted
You → drive → it
4. Make home field matter
This is the most significant reversal from last October.
asserted
This → make → October
San Diego had to win at Wrigley.
asserted
Diego → have → Wrigley
Now Chicago has to survive a Petco Park crowd that has turned the Gaslamp into one of baseball’s loudest October stages.
asserted
that → have → stages
Home field doesn’t swing a bat, but in a three-game series, familiarity matters.
asserted
familiarity → swing → series
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
