The San Diego Padres head into Wrigley Field on Tuesday afternoon to open their National League wild-card series against the Chicago Cubs. Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta is set to face Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd in Game 1.
With deep pitching staffs and stars such as Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki, this best-of-three series could go either way. San Diego also has a strong back end of the bullpen with Mason Miller and Robert Suarez. Miller struck out 104 batters in 61 2/3 innings this season, while Suarez led the National League with 40 saves.
Still, history favors the Padres heading into October. San Diego has never lost in the wild-card round, recording three series wins dating back to 2020. The Padres are also undefeated against the Cubs in the postseason, having defeated Chicago in the 1984 NL Championship Series. That year, San Diego overcame an 0-2 deficit to win three straight games and advance to the World Series.
Manager Mike Shildt and his team are hoping history repeats itself, though the margin between the two clubs has been slim. The Cubs and Padres split their six regular-season matchups, and Chicago finished just two games ahead of San Diego in the standings.
The Padres will be without outfielder Ramón Laureano, who fractured a finger late in the year. Laureano had been enjoying the best season of his career, hitting .281 with 24 home runs and 76 RBIs. Gavin Sheets will take his place in left field, with Bryce Johnson available as a late-game defensive replacement.
In a short series, Game 1 often sets the tone. For San Diego, stealing the opener at Wrigley could be the difference between advancing and heading home early.