Chicago Cubs vs. San Diego Padres Results, Stats, and Recap

SAN DIEGO (AP) Fernando Tatis Jr. struck the very first leadoff homer in San Diego Padres playoff history on the Chicago Cubs’ very first pitch, Michael King took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and San Diego rolled to an 8-0 success over Chicago in their NL Wild Card Series opener on Tuesday night.

Manny Machado likewise homered in the very first inning and included an RBI double in the 3rd throughout an emphatic opening declaration by the 91-win Padres. Xander Bogaerts likewise homered off Cubs starter Matthew Boyd, and Jackson Merrill included a two-run single later on.

San Diego offered ample assistance for King, who started out 8 over 7 outstanding innings while completely throttling the majors’ highest-scoring group. King set the tone by starting out likely NL MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong with the very first 3 pitches.

“It provides me self-confidence understanding the group believes in me to pitch in these video games,” King stated. “But then when you have our super stars revealing out like that in the bottom of the very first, it makes it a lot simpler.”

Nico Hoerner got the Cubs’ only hit off King with a one-out infield single in the seventh, however King acquired 2 more strikeouts to make the last of numerous standing ovations from the raucous sellout crowd seeing his 3rd profession playoff start.

“The crowd was remarkable,” Chicago supervisor Craig Counsell stated. “They had a lot to cheer about tonight, and we didn’t provide anything to be peaceful about.”

Video game 2 is Wednesday night at Petco Park. The series winner deals with the MLB-best Milwaukee Brewers in the best-of-five department series.

Chicago had simply one hit before getting to Joe Musgrove, the Padres veteran making his very first big league look because Oct. 2, 2024, in the ninth inning. The Cubs got 2 songs and a walk before Musgrove set out pinch-hitter Michael Conforto to maintain the nothing in his return from Tommy John surgical treatment.

The Padres controlled the opener of this rematch of last fall’s Wild Card Series, won by the Cubs in 3 tight video games. San Diego scored more runs in the very first 5 innings of this series opener than it did in 2015 in all 3 video games at Wrigley Field integrated.

When asked if his postseason supervisory launching might have gone any much better, San Diego’s Craig Stammen responded: “No, most likely not.”

“We couldn’t write it up any better … (but) it’s just one game, and we’ve got a job to do to finish the series off,” Stammen included. “The Cubs are a fantastic group. They didn’t play their finest video game tonight, however I ensure they’re going to play their finest video game tomorrow.”

San Diego completed this season with the majors’ sixth-best record, besting Chicago by 2 wins and setting franchise records with its 3rd straight playoff berth and 5th straight winning record. The Padres struck the postseason on a 17-3 roll, and they’re still rising.

Boyd’s opening pitch was a changeup, and Tatis squashed it 405 feet to center in a blast similar to his first-inning homer in Game 1 of San Diego’s 2024 NL Wild Card Series triumph over Atlanta.

Minutes later on, Machado smashed another changeup out to left-center, triggering pandemonium at Petco with his franchise-record ninth postseason homer.

“Honestly, it was difficult to remain secured in the bottom of the very first,” King stated with a smile. “I like to commemorate my guys striking homers, however clearly I work to do. Difficult to remain called in on what I was doing due to the fact that it was a definitely electrical environment.”

Tatis strolled in the 3rd and scored from initially on Machado’s double to the wall. Bogaerts linked in the 4th, lining a full-count changeup into the seats on the Western Metal Supply Co. structure above left field.

“When those guys are leading the charge, we’re a quite difficult group,” Stammen stated.

San Diego packed the bases in the 5th versus reducer Javier Assad, and Merrill split a two-run single to center before Ty France scored on a passed ball.

King left the small problem he dealt with, getting crucial strikeouts and tossing his sweeper wonderfully. Hoerner got Chicago’s struck on a grounder that Machado stopped with trouble, however could not move to his tossing hand easily enough to make a play.

Tatis scored his 3rd run in the seventh when he singled, took 2nd and ran all the method home when the toss dripped into. Tatis moved headfirst past the tag and turned up shouting while Machado theatrically signified him safe.

Nick Pivetta (3-2, 2.86 ERA) begins Game 2 for the Padres in his 5th video game back from a near five-month lack with an ideal elbow injury. Kevin Gausman (4-2, 4.83) opts for the Cubs.

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