Game Recap: Cubs top Padres for first playoff win since 2017

David Banks - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 11 hours ago

CHICAGO - For the first time since 2020, Playoff baseball returned to Wrigley Field as the Chicago Cubs and the San Diego Padres kicked off their best-of-three Wild Card Series. With all three games of this series being played at home, expect things to get crazy as playoff time at Wrigley Field is indescribable.

With Game 1 being arguably the most crucial game of the entire series, it was the Cubs finding a way to get the job done. Back-to-back homers from Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly paved the way for a 3-1 victory, as the Cubs are now one game away from advancing. The win marks the first playoff win for the Cubs since 2017, a drought that was starting to feel like it had no end.

Once Cade Horton hit the IL, eliminating him from this series, there were a lot of questions as to who would get the ball in game one. Despite his second-half struggles, the debate was clear as Matthew Boyd earned the nod after notching a 14-win regular season. Given the Padres' notable struggles against right-handers and Boyd posting a 12-1 mark with a 2.51 ERA at home, this was an easy decision to make as Boyd was set to make the biggest start of his MLB career.

Unlike the regular season, where managers tend to ride pitchers as long as they can, things are different in the postseason, as starters very rarely face a lineup three times unless they are dominating. That was the case for Boyd, who struck out two across 4 1/3 innings, being pulled after just 58 pitches. He allowed four hits and one run in his outing, which is all you can ask for from your starter.

The lone run off Boyd and, for the matter, the lone run of the game for the Padres came in the second inning as Jackson Merrill led things off with a soft liner to right that turned into a double. One batter later, and it was Xander Bogaerts coming through with a double off the left field fence as the Padres struck first for the 1-0 lead.

Given how Nick Pivetta was pitching early on, it was starting to feel like one run would be enough, as a first-inning Nico Hoerner single was the lone baserunner the Cubs would have through four innings as Pivetta was carving up the Cubs' offense. The same can be said about Boyd for the most part, although he did run into some trouble in the fourth with Manny Machado leading things off with a walk before advancing to second on a Merrill sacrifice bunt.

Following an infield hit from Bogaerts to put runners on the corners, Boyd buckled down to escape without damage as the Cubs remained within striking distance at 1-0. It wasn't until the fifth inning that the Cubs managed to get on the board, and it came from their hottest hitter as Seiya Suzuki unloaded for a long solo blast to left to make this a 1-1 game.

For Suzuki, that marks five straight days with a home run as he has caught fire at the perfect time. With the crowd still buzzing from that homer, it was Carson Kelly sending them into a frenzy as he unloaded for a solo shot of his own to go back-to-back as the Cubs took a 2-1 lead. Pivetta did manage to respond by retiring the next two hitters, finishing his outing with nine strikeouts across five innings, but the damage was done as this became a battle of the bullpens.

On paper, the Padres' bullpen had the edge, as they have statistically been the best in baseball all season. However, the Cubs' pen is no slouch, and if you look at their second-half numbers, you could make the case that they were just as good as the Padres, as runs are expected to be challenging to come by this week.

The biggest decision of the game was Craig Counsell going with Daniel Palencia in the fifth as he entered with one out in the inning. Not only was Palencia lights out, but he picked up five outs for just the second time this season to keep the Cubs in front 2-1 with their man guys lingering. With Drew Pomeranz and Andrew Kittredge going pitch for pitch with Mason Miller and Adrian Morejon, the pressure fell on Jeremiah Estrada in the eighth as the Cubs were looking for a massive insurance run.

Leave it to the bottom of the order to get the job done, as Dansby Swanson started things off with a leadoff single before moving up to second on the sacrifice bunt from Matt Shaw. Following an intentional walk to Michael Busch to put a pair of runners on, Estrada didn't help himself as a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position with the Cubs' best hitter in Hoerner at the plate.

That alone proved costly as Hoerner came through with a massive sacrifice fly to bring home a run as the Cubs pushed their lead to 3-1.

That would be all the offense they would need as Brad Keller came into slam the door in the ninth as the Cubs' bullpen tossed 4 2/3 hitless innings to give the Cubs a 3-1 victory.