{"id":273354,"date":"2025-10-03T01:53:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-03T01:53:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/273354\/"},"modified":"2025-10-03T01:53:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T01:53:12","slug":"chicago-cubs-beat-san-diego-padres-3-1-to-win-wild-card-series","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/273354\/","title":{"rendered":"Chicago Cubs beat San Diego Padres 3-1 to win wild-card series"},"content":{"rendered":"

For the first time since 2017, the Chicago Cubs are moving on in the postseason.<\/p>\n

The Cubs used an early lead and stellar pitching to beat the San Diego Padres 3-1 on Thursday in Game 3 of the wild-card series to advance to the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, their division rivals and owners of baseball\u2019s best record.<\/p>\n

The Cubs entered Thursday 6-13 at Wrigley Field in elimination games, including 0-3 in winner-takes-all games. Those previous win-or-go-home losses occurred in the 1945 World Series, 2003 NL Championship Series and 2018 wild-card game. They were 4-4 overall in such games, with their last win coming in the 2017 NLDS at the Washington Nationals.<\/p>\n

Pete Crow-Armstrong\u2019s RBI single and Dansby Swanson\u2019s bases-loaded walk in the second put the Cubs in control early. Michael Busch\u2019s hit his first career postseason home run to lead off the seventh. Jackson Merrill\u2019s solo blast off Brad Keller in the ninth accounted for the Padres\u2019 only run, though they had the tying runs in scoring position before the Cubs held on for the win.<\/p>\n

Game 1 of the NLDS is Saturday in Milwaukee.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody works really hard to get themselves in games like this and moments like this and atmospheres like this,\u201d manager Craig Counsell said pregame. \u201cNerves, yeah, of course, but that\u2019s how you enjoy it is you know you worked hard to put yourself in an environment like this, which is pretty special.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor all the players, you acknowledge your feelings, you acknowledge how you\u2019re feeling, it\u2019s OK.\u00a0But I also know from playing that when you get in the game, it all normalizes once the game starts. All the feelings you\u2019re having before the game, just enjoy them and enjoy the nerves, enjoy the excitement. Like, lean into it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cubs would have experienced difficult what-if reflections of missed opportunities had the Padres pulled off a comeback win.<\/p>\n

They put the leadoff batter on base in four of the first five innings and had at least one player reach in each of the first six innings. The Cubs\u2019 best chance to blow the game open came in the second after loading the bases with nobody out against Padres starter Yu Darvish. Kyle Tucker (single) and Seiya Suzuki (double) immediately put pressure on Darvish to begin the frame. The former Cub then hit Carson Kelly with a pitch and surrendered an RBI single to Crow-Armstrong, his first of the series, for a 1-0 Cubs lead.<\/p>\n

Padres manager Mike Shildt had a quick hook for Darvish, pulling him before he could record an out in the second. Right-handed reliever Jeremiah Estrada, claimed off waivers after the Cubs designated him for assignment before the 2024 season, entered into the jam only to walk in a run on a full count to Swanson.<\/p>\n

The Cubs, though, couldn\u2019t tack on any more. Matt Shaw struck out, one of three in the game, and Busch hit into an inning-ending double play.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"CubsCubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon celebrates the third inning of Game 3 of the National League wild-card series against the Padres on Oct. 2, 2025, at Wrigley Field. (Eileen T. Meslar\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n

Fortunately, right-hander Jameson Taillon shined in his second career postseason start and first since 2022 with the New York Yankees. He cruised through four shutout innings, holding the Padres to two hits and striking out four without walking a batter. Taillon wanted this opportunity and delivered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re confident Jamo is going to do him, he\u2019s really good at that,\u201d Counsell said. \u201cHe\u2019s really good at sticking to the things that make him have success, which is really good strike-throwing ability, the ability to throw any pitch at any time, controlling situations, with kind of mentally controlling situations to be able to make the next pitch, any pitch, any count. You combine all those things, and it leads to a lot of success.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know he\u2019s going to be prepared for the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Counsell faced his first big decision in Game 3 heading into the fifth: Let Taillon, who had been rolling, stay in to face pocket of three consecutive left-handed hitters or go to bullpen. Counsell opted for the latter and turned to Caleb Thielbar.<\/p>\n

The 38-year-old reliever struck out two of the lefties, Ryan O\u2019Hearn and Jake Cronenworth, sandwiched around Gavin Sheets\u2019 single. Counsell turned to Daniel Palencia to end the fifth, and the hard-throwing righty recovered from Freddy Fermin\u2019s double to put runners at second and third by forcing Fernando Tat\u00eds Jr. to fly out to keep the Padres off the board.<\/p>\n

One of the best defense teams in the regular season produced a fantastic all-around performance in the biggest game of the season. Crow-Armstrong\u2019s elite reaction time allowed him to make a sliding grab on Manny Machado\u2019s 111.2-mph liner that had a 10% catch probability for the final out of the first. Swanson had a trio of plays to rob the Padres of hits while second baseman Nico Hoerner\u2019s leaping catch to snag a liner with a .560 expected average that potentially prevented the runner at second from scoring, which would have made it a one-run game.<\/p>\n

The Cubs have showed a knack for bouncing back after tough games and displaying resiliency en route to their 92-win season. Their 46-24 record after a loss this year was the best in Major League Baseball, including a 23-6 mark at Wrigley.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had pretty much the same group all year long, and we\u2019re having each other\u2019s backs, whether we have good days or bad days,\u201d Tucker said. \u201cWe\u2019ve just got to try and grind through them and try and come out with a win regardless.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cubs fans were locked in from the first pitch, rising to their feet every time a hitter stepped to the plate in a big spot or Taillon and Cubs relievers had two strikes during a two-out at-bat. The Cubs embraced the atmosphere where clearly the Friendly Confines had been waiting for the first postseason home game with fans in the stands since 2018.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s always such a cool buzz when we play here, but I think it definitely feels a little bit bigger,\u201d Crow-Armstrong said. \u201cI think the energy is at a 10 from pitch one or even from an hour pregame. It\u2019s so cool. It\u2019s an opportunity we get to feed off of, off of our crowd. So when you\u2019ve got 40,000 pulling in your direction, that\u2019s always fun.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe owe more playoff baseball to this fan base for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

NL Division Series<\/p>\n

Cubs vs. Brewers<\/strong><\/p>\n

Best-of-five | Times TBD |\u00a0All games on TBS<\/p>\n