In Game 1 of the NL wild-card series, the San Diego Padres defeated the Chicago Cubs by a score of 8-0 at Petco Park in San Diego. Michael King pitched brilliantly for the Padres, carrying a no-hitter into the seventh inning and striking out eight batters. The game was dominated by early home runs from Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado, who scored three quick runs off Chicago's Matthew Boyd. Despite some late-inning struggles, King still left an impressive mark on what turned into a decisive victory for San Diego.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-30,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
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.
So much for the 55 runs, the 23-3 humiliation in July and all the evidence the Chicago Cubs could carry into October suggesting they had the San Diego Padres’ number.
uncertain
they → carry → number
But numbers don’t mean everything, and not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.
asserted
that → mean → everything
So on Tuesday night, the Padres started their own count.
asserted
Padres → start → count
San Diego opened the NL wild-card series with an emphatic 8-0 victory over Chicago at a roaring Petco Park, riding Michael King’s flirtation with history and first-inning thunder from Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado to move within one victory of returning the favor for last October’s elimination at Wrigley Field.
asserted
Diego → open → Field
Everyone expected this to be a close battle between two of baseball’s best teams.
asserted
this → expect → teams
King carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the highest-scoring offense in baseball, suffocating the Cubs for 6 1/3 innings before Nico Hoerner finally broke up the no-no with a soft grounder to third base that Machado couldn’t field and throw cleanly, allowing Hoerner to reach on an infield single.
asserted
Hoerner → carry → single
By then, the damage had been done everywhere else.
asserted
damage → do → ?
King struck out Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman back-to-back in a perfect first inning.
asserted
King → strike → inning
Moments later, Tatis sent Matthew Boyd’s first pitch of the night over the center-field wall.
asserted
Tatis → send → wall
Crow-Armstrong nearly brought it back, but nearly was about as close as Chicago got in this blowout.
asserted
Chicago → bring → blowout
Four pitches into Machado’s first plate appearance, the Padres third baseman launched another homer and Petco Park was shaking beneath 47,084 fans, including actor Bill Murray.
asserted
Park → launch → Murray
Chicago’s offense limped into October and apparently brought the limp through airport security.
asserted
offense → limp → security
Crow-Armstrong, the presumptive NL MVP, went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts, and King struck out Chicago’s top two hitters — PCA and Bregman — six times in their first seven combined at-bats.
asserted
King → go → bats
Meanwhile, Boyd’s previous problems against San Diego followed him into the postseason.
asserted
problems → follow → postseason
Tatis walked in the third and Machado doubled him home for a 3-0 lead.
asserted
Machado → walk → lead
Boyd departed after four innings, having allowed five hits and four runs.
asserted
Boyd → depart → hits
After that, the Padres turned Game 1 into batting practice.
asserted
Padres → turn → practice
Xander Bogaerts supplied the evening’s loudest souvenir in the fourth, launching a no-doubt homer into the second deck of the Western Metal Supply Co. building.
asserted
Bogaerts → supply → building
Then San Diego ripped the game open with three runs in the fifth.
asserted
Diego → rip → fifth
Jackson Merrill punched a two-run single through the right side with the bases loaded before a wild pitch brought home another run.
asserted
pitch → punch → run
By then, this stopped resembling the tense three-game chess match everyone anticipated and started looking like San Diego was settling an old score.
asserted
Diego → stop → score
Tuesday offered compelling evidence that momentum didn’t disappear when the calendar flipped to October.
asserted
calendar → offer → October
By the time fans sang “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” the only drama left was whether Chicago could avoid the shutout.
uncertain
Chicago → sing → shutout
San Diego native Joe Musgrove, who has not pitched on a major league mound since the 2024 NL wild-card series, made his triumphant return after two years and closed out the game.
What it means
The Padres needed to plant their flag immediately after Chicago took Game 1 at Wrigley last October.
Consider it planted.
asserted
it → pitch → Wrigley
San Diego is now one victory from advancing and turns to Nick Pivetta in Game 2 on Wednesday night.
asserted
Diego → advance → night
Even more importantly, the Padres never had to touch Adrián Morejón, Bradgley Rodriguez or Mason Miller.
asserted
Padres → have → Morejón
Their three most dangerous bullpen weapons will be rested with Chicago’s season on the line.
asserted
weapons → rest → line
Turning point
Tatis’ first-pitch home run.
King had just retired the Cubs in order when Tatis sent Boyd’s first offering toward the center-field wall.
asserted
Tatis → turn → wall
The Cubs never recovered.
asserted
Cubs → recover → ?
Did you see that?
asserted
you → see → that
Bogaerts didn’t simply homer in the fourth inning.
asserted
Bogaerts → homer → inning
He sent it to the moon.
asserted
He → send → moon
His blast landed in the second deck of the Western Metal Supply Co. building, one of those home runs where the outfielder’s only responsibility is to turn around and admire the architecture.
asserted
responsibility → land → architecture
Up next
The Padres can finish the job Wednesday night at Petco Park with Pivetta starting Game 2 at 7 p.m.
Chicago had yet to announce its starter Tuesday night, with Clay Holmes and David Peterson among its possibilities.
asserted
Chicago → finish → possibilities
Whoever gets the baseball inherits a fairly simple assignment:
Save the Cubs’ season.
asserted
gets → get → season
The Aporia
