{"id":272658,"date":"2025-10-02T19:37:17","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T19:37:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/272658\/"},"modified":"2025-10-02T19:37:17","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T19:37:17","slug":"cubs-vs-san-diego-padres-the-1984-national-league-championship-series-chicago-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/272658\/","title":{"rendered":"Cubs vs. San Diego Padres \u2014 the 1984 National League Championship Series \u2013 Chicago Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"

The deciding game<\/a> in the best-of-three National League Wild Card Series between the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres starts at 4:08 p.m. It\u2019s the second time<\/a> the teams have faced each other in the postseason.<\/p>\n

Forty one years ago, the Cubs entered October as the National League East champions with a 96-65 record. It had been 39 years<\/a> since the team\u2019s last trip to the World Series<\/a> and 76 years<\/a> since the Cubs\u2019 last championship.<\/p>\n

But Ryne Sandberg<\/a> \u2014 who would be named the\u00a0National League\u2019s Most Valuable Player<\/a> and earn his\u00a0second of nine consecutive Golden Glove awards<\/a> at second base \u2014 was just trying to find his pants<\/a>. More than 33,000 fans stuck around Wrigley Field after the Cubs\u2019 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in the regular-season finale. The team, which had already hit the locker room, was summoned back out for a curtain call.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had already started to get undressed. Then somebody said the fans wanted us back on the field,\u201d Sandberg explained mid-blush. \u201cI had to rush around and grab a pair of pants real quick before I could go out there for the celebration. It was unbelievable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cardinals\u2019 manager Whitey Herzog liked the Cubs\u2019 chances in the playoffs, but also warned a foreboding series<\/a> might be ahead.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe I\u2019m prejudiced because the Cubs are in our division, but I think they\u2019ll be awful tough to beat,\u201d he said. \u201cThe thing about a short series, though, is that you can practically throw out whatever happened during the regular season. Strange things can happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a look back at the Cubs\u2019 highs \u2014 and lows \u2014 during the best-of-five 1984 National League Championship Series against the San Diego Padres.<\/p>\n

Game 1 (Oct. 2, 1984)
\n\"CubCub pitcher Rick Sutcliffe watches his third-inning home run sail over the right-field fence in the Cubs\u2019 13-0 pasting of the San Diego Padres on Oct. 2, 1984, at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The Cubs hit five homers in the game, breaking a League Championship Series record. (Jerry Tomaselli\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n

Cubs 13, Padres 0<\/p>\n

That morning, Tribune columnist Mike Royko<\/a> criticized San Diegans for having \u201cno sense of tradition because they have no tradition.\u201d (The Padres were owned at the time by the family of recently deceased McDonald\u2019s founder and Oak Park native Ray Kroc<\/a>.) Royko said Cubs fans were harder working and more deserving of a postseason run, telling readers, \u201d \u2026 we are going to slaughter those lousy wimps.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Chicago Cubs shut out the San Diego Padres 13-0 on Oct. 2, 1984, at Wrigley Field during Game 1 of the National League Championship Series. (Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n

Royko\u2019s prediction came true \u2014 it was the most lopsided victory<\/a> in the 16-year history of the playoffs. The Cubs hit five home runs, including two by Gary Matthews and one by National League Cy Young Award winner Rick Sutcliffe<\/a>, who pitched seven innings and allowed two hits. At that point, winners of the first game had taken 21 of the 30 championship series in both the National and American leagues.<\/p>\n

One bright spot for the Padres \u2014 right fielder Tony Gwynn successfully kicked a smoke bomb<\/a> that had been tossed onto the field before it could do any harm.<\/p>\n

\u201cComing into the series, everyone said we were even,\u201d Gwynn told reporters after the game. \u201cTo have this happen is kind of embarrassing to me. It\u2019s one of the few times all year we have been blown out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Interesting footnote, a four-man crew of Big 10 Conference umpires was utilized in place of striking MLB umpires.<\/p>\n

Game 2 (Oct. 3, 1984)
\n\"EvenEven Keith Moreland, not known as a sprinter, has the Cubs\u2019 running spirit in the third inning on Oct. 3, 1984. On Ron Cey\u2019s double, Moreland roared all the way around from first base, sliding home with the second run of the game while shortstop Garry Templeton\u2019s relay throw skipped away from Padre\u2019s catcher Terry Kennedy. (Bob Fila\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n

Cubs 4, Padres 2<\/p>\n

The Cubs\u2019 magic number became one<\/a> after they swept the Padres at home and headed for San Diego.<\/p>\n

Steve Trout gave up five hits in his 8 1\/3 innings of work before relief pitcher Lee Smith got the final two outs (by striking out former Cub Carmelo Martinez and popping up Terry Kennedy with a long fly to left field).<\/p>\n

\u201cBarring a minor miracle and pending notification of next of kin, the San Diego Padres can be pronounced dead<\/a>,\u201d Tribune reporter Fred Mitchell wrote.<\/p>\n

Game 3 (Oct. 4, 1984)
\n\"TheThe Chicago Tribune reports on Oct. 5, 1984, how the Padres beat the Cubs 7-1 in Game 3 for the NLCS in San Diego. (Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n

Padres 7, Cubs 1<\/p>\n

The Cubs took an early lead<\/a> at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego on Ron Cey\u2019s second-inning single, which scored Keith Moreland. The Padres, however, stormed back in the fifth inning, ripping Cub starter Dennis Eckersley for three runs.<\/p>\n

\n

Sneaking up on people is Cubs\u2019 usual route to the playoffs<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The laid-back crowd \u2014 wearing \u201cCub Busters\u201d<\/a> T-shirts \u2014 came alive after outfielder Kevin McReynolds\u2019 three-run homer off Cub reliever George Frazier in the sixth inning. The Padres scored one more run that inning.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe lost some momentum,\u201d said Cubs center fielder Bobby Dernier. \u201cIt still take three to win this thing. We can come right back Saturday and take it back. We didn\u2019t lose it tonight. They took it.<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n

Game 4 (Oct. 6, 1984)
\n\"Cubs'Cubs\u2019 reliever Lee Smith stalks off the mound while the Padres\u2019 Tony Gwynn leaps in the air after the Padres\u2019 Steve Garvey’s playoff homer in San Diego on Oct. 6, 1984, during Game 4 of the NLCS. (Ed Wagner Jr.\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n

Padres 7, Cubs 5<\/p>\n

Game 5 of the series became necessary after Padres first baseman Steve Garvey \u2014 who was named the MVP for the series \u2014 drilled a line-drive, two-run home run<\/a> to right field off Cub reliever Lee Smith with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning. Garvey had four hits on the night with five runners batted in during the game.<\/p>\n

Game 5 (Oct. 7, 1984)
\n\"TheThe Chicago Tribune reports on Oct. 8, 1984, of the Cubs fall to the Padres the previous day during the National League Championship Series in San Diego. (Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n

Padres 6, Cubs 3<\/p>\n

The Padres became the first National League team to recover from being down two games to none to win the pennant<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Cubs were rolling along with a 3-0 lead \u2014 thanks to a lead-off home run by Jody Davis to left field \u2014 and Sutcliffe pitching a two-hitter until the Padres erupted for two runs in the sixth inning, loading the bases with none out and making it 3-2 on a pair of sacrifice flies. In an ugly seventh inning, San Diego scored four runs after an error by Leon Durham at first base.<\/p>\n

\n

Game 5 loss still haunts 1984 Cubs<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re going to the World Series and we\u2019re going home<\/a>,\u201d starting pitcher Sutcliffe said after the game. \u201cThis will hurt me for a long, long time. It will stay with all of us for a long time. It\u2019s hard to deal with. Very hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was Sutcliffe\u2019s first loss of the season since June 29, 1984, which ended his streak of 15 consecutive victories.<\/p>\n

The Cubs had the typing run at the place in the eighth inning against Padres reliever Goose Gossage, but couldn\u2019t score.<\/p>\n

The Padres lost to the Detroit Tigers 4-1 in the 1984 World Series. The Cubs made it to the playoffs again in 1989, but lost 4-1 to the San Francisco Giants.<\/p>\n

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