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During Game 2 of the NLDS between the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres, Cubs pitcher Daniel Palencia plunked Jake Cronenworth with a pitch after allowing a two-run homer to Gavin Sheets. This incident prompted a heated reaction from the Padres’ bench, including an explicit outburst directed at Palencia. The sequence occurred in the fourth inning when Palencia was already down 4-1 following Sheets' home run. Despite initial concerns that Palencia may have intentionally hit Cronenworth, medical staff tended to him after the incident, suggesting no malicious intent.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-01,
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.
Things did not stay classy in San Diego.
asserted
Things → stay → Diego
Cubs pitcher Daniel Palencia enraged the Padres’ bench Wednesday night after plunking a batter immediately following a game-changing two-run homer in the 4-1 road loss in Game 2 that ended Chicago’s season rather unceremoniously.
asserted
that → enrage → season
One person on the Padres bench clearly shouted, “F–k you,” toward Palencia after Jake Cronenworth took a 100-mph 3-0 offering right in the back, while others seemed quite miffed.
asserted
others → shout → back
A trainer attended to Palenica right after the hit by pitch, with one of the Peacock broadcasters noting they did not believe he hit Cronenworth on purpose.
asserted
he → attend → purpose
The scene unfolded in the fourth inning after Palencia — a reliever — allowed a two-run homer to pinch-hitting Gavin Sheets that turned a 2-1 deficit into a 4-1 hole.
asserted
that → unfold → hole
Palenica then fired three balls to Cronenworth before his fourth hit him in the back, resulting in the latter staring down the reliever while the fans booed loudly.
asserted
fans → fire → reliever
Craig Counsell and medical staffers then checked on Palencia, who recorded the final out of the inning and then pitched a clean fifth inning.
asserted
who → check → inning
That he would hit Cronenworth right in the typical spot for a beaning immediately after surrendering a homer certainly raised some flags, although the trainer coming out indicated something being amiss.
asserted
trainer → hit → something
Tempers eventually cooled but the Cubs’ bats never heated up and they exited the postseason being outscored 12-1 over the two games.
asserted
they → cool → games
Their line run came on a fourth-inning RBI single by Nico Hoerner but the good vibes didn’t last long before Sheets took Palenica deep to make it a three-run game.
asserted
it → come → Palenica
The Cubs have now lost in the NLDS and Wild Card in back-to-back years, raising questions about this team’s ceiling.
“It didn’t go well here.
asserted
It → lose → ceiling
We just didn’t play well enough.
asserted
We → play → ?
They’re playing really well.
asserted
They → play → ?
We just couldn’t get anything going offensively obviously,” Counsell said.
asserted
Counsell → get → ?
“Look, it’s the end of the season is — when you’re in this position, you’re going to be disappointed.
asserted
you → look → position
You’re going to feel unfulfilled, and you can’t — that’s just dominating everything you feel right now.
asserted
you → go → everything
Maybe as you reflect, I think I can get to some better places.
asserted
I → reflect → places
Right now that’s all I feel.”
asserted
I → ’ → ?
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