Padres-Cubs NL Wild Card Collection Recreation 1 FAQ (Tues., 3 ET, ABC) – MLB.com

AJ Cassavell
Jordan Bastian
CHICAGO — The Cubs have been striving to return to the postseason since dismantling the outdated core group that helped the franchise finish its 108-year World Collection drought in 2016. The Padres have been one in every of baseball’s elite groups lately, although they’ve but to convey house the group’s first title.
The Cubs and Padres are actually set for a best-of-three Nationwide League Wild Card Collection conflict that begins on Tuesday afternoon at Wrigley Subject.
“You’re sort of on cloud 9,” Cubs supervisor Craig Counsell mentioned, “realizing that there’s 12 groups taking part in and also you’re one in every of them. And also you’ve obtained some of the enjoyable baseball video games to play on Tuesday. We’re prepared for it. We’re wanting ahead to it.”
For the Cubs, this marks the team’s first trip to the playoffs since 2020, which got here on the tail finish of a run of 5 postseason berths in a six-year span. That run included three division titles, three runs to the NL Championship Collection and the historic 2016 World Series triumph over Cleveland.
Following a two-year rebuilding interval, the Cubs established a basis with a brand new veteran core (led by Ian Happ, Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson), infused some youthful expertise (highlighted by dynamic heart fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong) and labored so as to add star energy with the acquisition of Kyle Tucker for this season.
The consequence was a 92-win displaying that netted the primary playoff house video games with followers within the stands since 2018. The Cubs can be searching for their first postseason sequence win since advancing to the ‘17 NLCS.
“Having the ability to clinch home-field benefit for the primary spherical is actually particular,” Swanson mentioned. “We’ve labored so much all 12 months to have the ability to get up to now. You do numerous issues as a gaggle to gel and to get up to now, to construct chemistry. It’s simply part of the journey. It’s not the top spot, however it’s a part of it.
“The followers which have supported us all 12 months deserve moments like this, deserve to have the ability to expertise playoff video games at Wrigley. There’s nothing like having the ability to play in entrance of your property staff.”
The Padres completed runner-up to the Dodgers within the NL West and to the Cubs within the NL Wild Card race, however the staff is coming into its fourth playoff run in the past six years. It reached the NLDS in 2024 and NLCS in ‘22. This 12 months’s run goes via the NL Central, with the Cubs within the first spherical and the division-champion Brewers awaiting the winner within the NLDS.
“Clearly that’s a very good staff, had an awesome season,” Padres supervisor Mike Shildt mentioned of the Cubs. “They’re very gifted throughout the board — the pitching, the place gamers. They play protection, they do numerous various things to win video games, which clearly it’s a must to do to get within the playoffs. … It’ll be an awesome sequence, I’m certain.”
When is the sport, and the way can I watch it?
MLB introduced that each Tuesday's Recreation 1 and Wednesday's Recreation 2 of the Wild Card Collection between the Padres and Cubs will air at 2 p.m. CT/midday PT on ABC. The beginning time for a possible Recreation 3 on Thursday stays TBD.
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All sequence can be found within the U.S. on MLB.TV with authentication to a collaborating Pay TV supplier. Video games are additionally accessible stay internationally, though not in Canada.
Who’re the beginning pitchers?
Padres: Nick Pivetta (13-5, 2.87 ERA)
Pivetta has been the Padres’ steadiest starter this season by a mile, so he has earned the Game 1 nod. However his postseason expertise is restricted. He made three appearances for the 2021 Pink Sox, posting a 2.63 ERA. Pivetta sports activities one of many Majors’ greatest fastballs and pairs it with a few putaway breaking pitches. He signed a four-year deal with the Padres on the primary day of full-squad exercises this spring — a transfer which has since confirmed to be one of many shrewdest of the 2024-25 offseason.
Cubs: Matthew Boyd (14-8, 3.21 ERA)
Boyd was sensational within the first half, pitching his manner onto his first All-Star team and handing over a tidy 2.20 ERA in his first 20 outings for the North Siders. The veteran lefty had some blended outcomes down the stretch (a 5.16 ERA in his final 11 begins), however he was stable in his last regular-season start on Wednesday. Boyd allowed two runs in 11 1/3 innings in two outings in opposition to the Padres in April. That included six scoreless innings on April 5 at Wrigley Subject. A 12 months in the past, Boyd had a 0.77 ERA in three playoff games to assist Cleveland attain the American League Championship Collection.
What would possibly the beginning lineups seem like?
Padres
As Pivetta’s private catcher this season, Díaz was anticipated to get the Recreation 1 begin over Deadline acquisition Freddy Fermin. However Díaz’s playoff standing is unclear after he suffered an injury scare on Saturday night. With Ramón Laureano sidelined as a result of a fractured right index finger, Sheets is predicted to fit into left discipline — although that may give the Padres three straight lefty bats from six via eight. Dealing with the lefty Boyd on Tuesday, it’s attainable the righty-hitting Jose Iglesias would begin, breaking apart the string of lefties. However O’Hearn and Cronenworth have been stable sufficient in opposition to left-handed pitching, and it’s likelier they’d stay within the lineup.
Cubs
The Cubs function a mixture of energy and velocity, as evidenced by the membership being simply the third MLB staff in historical past (together with the 2009 Phillies and 1988 Mets) with a trio of gamers (Crow-Armstrong, Swanson and Tucker) with 20 homers and 20 steals. Busch, Crow-Armstrong and Suzuki made this solely the second Cubs staff in historical past with a minimum of three 30-homer gamers, whereas Crow-Armstrong joined Sammy Sosa because the only players in franchise history with a 30-30 showing.
How will the bullpens line up after the starter?
Padres: The Padres constructed a super-bullpen once they acquired Mason Miller on the Commerce Deadline, although that deep 'pen took a success with Jason Adam’s season-ending left quadriceps injury. The system is straightforward sufficient: Robert Suarez has the ninth. Miller will get the highest-leverage spot before the ninth. Adrian Morejon will face the trickiest lefties. And Jeremiah Estrada will get no matter massive outs are left. If the Padres want the center innings coated, David Morgan and Wandy Peralta are choices.
Cubs: Arduous-throwing righty Daniel Palencia pitched his manner into Counsell’s circle of belief and emerged as a more in-depth midseason, however a proper shoulder concern took him out of the combination for many of September. Palencia has since returned, however the Cubs have been going with a gaggle of arms for the later innings fairly than placing him proper again into the ninth-inning function. Andrew Kittredge and Brad Keller have been the primary righties on the again, with Caleb Thielbar and Drew Pomeranz offering the lefty counter-balance. Righty Michael Soroka and lefty Taylor Rogers supply much more depth.
Any accidents of be aware?
Padres: Laureano is a significant loss for a San Diego offense that has already struggled in opposition to left-handed pitching this season. He’ll miss the Wild Card Collection a minimum of, and if the Padres had been to advance, he would seemingly be out past that. Díaz, in the meantime, was coping with a sore left indirect, however the membership is hopeful he’ll be OK for the Wild Card Collection.
Cubs: Tucker missed three-plus weeks as a result of a left calf pressure earlier than returning from the injured list for the final weekend of the common season. He got here again as a DH as a result of he was nonetheless not working at 100%, and he’ll seemingly keep in that function for Recreation 1. Catcher Miguel Amaya (left ankle) has been out since mid-August, however he is perhaps nearing availability if Chicago’s catching state of affairs hits a snag in October. Righty Cade Horton was regarded as a Recreation 1 or 2 beginning risk, however a proper rib fracture landed him on the 15-day IL on Saturday. His standing for deeper within the postseason — ought to the Cubs advance — is unsure at this level.
Who’s sizzling and who is just not?
Padres: Fernando Tatis Jr., after an influence outage that spanned a lot of the summer time, was crimson sizzling in September, together with three homers in his previous 4 video games. Luis Arraez additionally struggled for a lot of the 12 months, however batted .352 within the closing month. Manny Machado, in the meantime, was wonderful for many of the season however batted simply .207 in September.
Cubs: Suzuki closed out the common season with homers in every of his closing 4 video games, launching 5 complete in that span. Hoerner turned issues up a notch in September, hitting .333 within the season’s closing month. Imanaga had a 6.51 ERA in September, permitting 10 homers (inside 30 hits general) in 27 2/3 innings. Crow-Armstrong hit .224 with a .646 OPS in September, however discovering his rhythm on the proper time. He had two homers with a .357 (5-for-14) common in his final 4 video games.
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