CUBS vs. PADRES: Full 2026 Wild Card Series Highlights | 2026 MLB Postseason

Second year in a row, the Cubs give the ball in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series to the lefty, Matthew Boyd. Tatis did a lead-off home run against Boyd at Wrigley on June 30th. And he swings at the very first pitch of the game and drives one. Jameson Fernando Tatis Jr. with a bang! Taco Bout getting punched in the face immediately. Now it'll be Machado with one out, nobody on. And Machado drives one! For the second time in three batters, the Padres have left the building! Tatis to start, Machado to follow. Hits two to nothing! Padres lead three to nothing. So just like that, two outs and nobody on. Xander Bogarts will stand in 0 for 1. Xander rips it in the air deep down the left field line. Headed towards the bricks, gone! Bases loaded, two down, Ryan Rolison in for the Cubs' bullpen. It's game time right here, right? If the Cubs have any chance whatsoever to come back, they're going to have to shut this down right now. He hits it hard off the middle. Bates-Rantz going to score two. A two-run single for Jackson Merrill. Padres lead it six to nothing here in the fifth. Boy, I don't know what's been better, the Padre offense or Michael King. The great part is they've both been equally good. It's a great performance, he's throwing strikes, he's getting some swings and misses. Michael King, the starter, has not allowed a hit yet. It has been a very lopsided game. One pitch, one out. Padres seven, Cubs nothing. One out, nobody on in the top of the seventh inning. And Horner swings, grabs it towards third. Man, he's sliding, backhands it, loses it as he goes to throw to first. And that will be the very first hit of the night for the Cubs. And it comes with one out in the seventh inning against Michael King. Ramirez swings and misses, strike three. There's that changeup. Seven keys for King and two down here in the seventh inning. And a swing and a miss, strike three. Seven. Outstanding shutout inning from Michael King here tonight. And the leadoff guy aboard to begin the bottom of the seventh inning. There he goes. Fernando steals second and scores on the throwing air by Carson Kelly. Make it eight to nothing in the seventh. Welcome to the Fernando Tatis Jr. Show. Now second and third, still nobody out. The Cubs are not bringing the infield all the way in. Who hits one into right field. At this moment for Ethan Salas, youngest catcher in playoff history. That's going to get a run home. Scores on the 20-year-old. With a sack fly, it's two nothing. The Cubs, with really their best opportunity in this series so far, two on, nobody out in the third. Big pitch, three-two. Pressing a little bit because they've been really scuffling to get anything going. Just went out of the zone twice in a row. Doesn't get any easier now as PCA steps to the plate. They'll have a chance to escape this inning, but they'll have to go through Alex Brayton. Swings. He pops it up into shallow center. Long run Merrill. He's going to get there. Catch and makes the catch and ends the inning. Cubs had two on, nobody out. They do not score. And with an offense like the Cubs, you just don't know at any given point in time they can have an explosion. Two on and one out. Horner the batter. On the ground, up the middle. Bates hit it to center field. And that's going to get the Cubs their first run. Nico Horner delivers. And now it's a two-to-one San Diego lead. And the Brogards into second with a one-out bull. Two down in the bottom of the fourth inning. And Sheets will be introduced as the pinch hitter for the DHA. Sheets blasts one. A two-run home run. And the Padres have added on. It's four-to-one. Taylor with a one-out single. Trying to go down with a fight tonight. Don't let your season slip away quietly. Someone launches one at any time. Now you're right in the game. You're one swing from tying the ball game. Isaiah Suzuki, one for three. On the ground. Back to Morihona. Double play to end the inning. Morihona to Cronenworth to France. And that will land the top of the eighth. It's not over yet. That's a base hit. It's a double for Nico Horner. Now you need one more guy to get on to get the tying run to the plate. Concordo swings and misses. Strike three. Good slider. And two down in the top of the ninth. Kelly swings. Drowns it to short. Bogart scoops to his left. He's got it. And the Padres have swept the Cubs. Final score tonight, the Padres four and the Cubs one.