Many teams hadn't locked in their postseason seed until after Game 162. That wasn't the case for the Cubs and Padres, who knew their fate before Sunday's slate finished.
The two National League clubs earned the fourth and fifth seeds, respectively, and will play in the Wild Card series. Chicago will host the best-of-three, which begins on Tuesday, Sept. 30.
All three games will be in Chicago rather than alternating sites for each game. It gives the Cubs the advantage, especially since the Padres finished below .500 on the road this season.
The Padres are in the postseason for the second consecutive year. They lost to the Dodgers 3-2 in the NLDS last fall despite leading the series 2-1 after three games.
The Cubs, however, are returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Chicago lost 2-0 to the Marlins in the Wild Card series in 2020 and hasn't made it past this round since 2017.
The Sporting News has all the details on how to watch the Cubs vs. Padres Wild Card series.
Cubs vs. Padres schedule
The best-of-three series between the Cubs and Padres will take place at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois.
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | TV channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 30 | Game 1: Cubs vs. Padres | 3:08 p.m. | ABC, ESPN app, Fubo |
| Oct. 1 | Game 2: Cubs vs. Padres | 3:08 p.m. | ABC, ESPN app, Fubo |
| Oct. 2 | Game 3: Cubs vs. Padres* | TBD | TBD |
*If necessary
How to watch Cubs vs. Padres: TV channel, live stream
The Cubs vs. Padres Wild Card series will be available to watch live on ABC.
For those without cable, the ESPN app and Fubo will have live streams available.
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Cubs vs. Padres radio station
- Radio channel: SiriusXM
MLB fans can listen to the Cubs vs. Padres Wild Card series live on SiriusXM.
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