The San Diego Padres sent their ace, Dylan Cease, to the mound in an elimination game on Wednesday against the Chicago Cubs, and he delivered.
Although he couldn't finish the fourth inning, Cease kept the Cubs off the board and left with a 1-0 lead. Third baseman Manny Machado would add a two-run home run in the fifth inning, and Padres' bullpen held the Cubs scoreless.
The Padres stayed alive with the 3-0 win in Game 2 and now it all comes down to the deciding Game 3. The Cubs and Padres announced their starting pitchers on Wednesday afternoon for Game 3 on Thursday.
Padres, Cubs Reveal Game 3 Starters
The Padres will have Yu Darvish start, and the Cubs will have Jameson Taillon start Game 3.
Darvish has struggled in his 15 starts this season with a 5.38 ERA across 72 innings pitched. The Padres' pitcher has plenty of veteran experience, and it could play a huge factor in an important Game 3 elimination game.
The Cubs will start Jameson Taillon in Game 3. The Padres will counter with former Cub Yu Darvish.
The Cubs will start Jameson Taillon in Game 3. The Padres will counter with former Cub Yu Darvish.
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) October 1, 2025
Darvish is a five-time All-Star in his 13-year MLB career, and also spent three years with the Cubs from 2018 to 2020.
On the Cubs side, Taillon has put together a strong season with a 3.68 ERA across 129.2 innings pitched. The Cubs' starter has dealt with injuries this season, but gave up just two runs in his final 19 innings in the regular season.
This is Taillon's ninth year in the MLB and his third with the Cubs. Now, he'll get a chance to face a former Cubs' pitcher in an elimination game.