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Toronto Star
· collected 2026-09-30 · by Greg Beacham The Associated Press
In the NL Wild Card Series opener, the San Diego Padres dominated the Chicago Cubs with an 8-0 victory at Petco Park. Fernando Tatis Jr. hit the first leadoff home run in franchise playoff history, while Michael King took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before Nico Hoerner’s infield single ended it. The game featured strong pitching from King, who struck out eight batters over seven innings, and timely hitting from Machado and Xander Bogaerts. This performance marked San Diego’s 91st win of the season and set up Game 2 on Wednesday night.
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.
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.
asserted
Diego → hit → night
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.
asserted
Machado → homer → Padres
Xander Bogaerts also homered off Cubs starter Matthew Boyd, and Jackson Merrill added a two-run single later.
asserted
Merrill → homer → single
San Diego provided more than enough support for King, who struck out eight over seven stellar innings while thoroughly throttling the majors’ highest-scoring team.
asserted
who → provide → team
King set the tone by striking out probable NL MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong with the game’s first three pitches.
asserted
King → set → pitches
Nico Hoerner got the Cubs’ only hit off King with a one-out infield single in the seventh, but King racked up two more strikeouts to earn the last of several standing ovations from the raucous sellout crowd watching his third career playoff start.
asserted
King → get → start
The series winner faces the MLB-best Milwaukee Brewers in the best-of-five division series.
asserted
winner → face → series
Chicago had just one hit before getting to Joe Musgrove, the Padres veteran making his first major league appearance since Oct. 2, 2024, in the ninth inning.
asserted
Chicago → have → inning
The Cubs got two singles and a walk before Musgrove struck out pinch-hitter Michael Conforto to preserve the shutout in his return from Tommy John surgery.
asserted
Musgrove → get → surgery
The Padres dominated the opener of this rematch of last fall’s Wild Card Series, won by the Cubs in three tight games.
asserted
Padres → dominate → games
San Diego scored more runs in the first five innings of this series opener than it did last year in all three games at Wrigley Field combined.
asserted
it → score → Field
San Diego finished this season with the majors’ sixth-best record, besting Chicago by two wins and setting franchise records with its third straight playoff berth and fifth straight winning record.
asserted
Diego → finish → berth
The Padres hit the postseason on a 17-3 roll, and they’re still surging.
asserted
they → hit → roll
Boyd’s opening pitch was a changeup, and Tatis crushed it 405 feet to center in a blast reminiscent of his first-inning homer in Game 1 of San Diego’s 2024 NL Wild Card Series victory over Atlanta.
asserted
Tatis → crush → Atlanta
Moments later, Machado smashed another changeup out to left-center, setting off pandemonium at Petco with his franchise-record ninth postseason homer.
asserted
Machado → smash → homer
Tatis walked in the third and scored from first on Machado’s double to the wall.
asserted
Tatis → walk → wall
Bogaerts connected in the fourth, lining a full-count changeup into the seats on the Western Metal Supply Co. building above left field.
asserted
Bogaerts → connect → field
San Diego loaded the bases in the fifth against reliever Javier Assad, and Merrill cracked a two-run single to center before Ty France scored on a passed ball.
asserted
France → load → ball
King escaped the minor trouble he faced, picking up key strikeouts and throwing his sweeper superbly.
asserted
he → escape → sweeper
Hoerner got Chicago’s hit on a grounder that Machado stopped with difficulty, but couldn’t transfer to his throwing hand cleanly enough to make a play.
asserted
Machado → get → play
Tatis scored his third run in the seventh when he singled, stole second and ran all the way home when the throw trickled into center.
asserted
throw → score → center
Tatis slid headfirst past the tag and came up screaming while Machado theatrically signaled him safe.
asserted
Machado → slide → him
Up next
Nick Pivetta (3-2, 2.86 ERA) starts Game 2 for the Padres in his fifth game back from a near five-month absence with a right elbow injury.
asserted
Pivetta → start → injury
Kevin Gausman (4-2, 4.83) goes for the Cubs.
asserted
Gausman → go → Cubs
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