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Padres stars waste no time taking over Wild Card Game 1 against Cubs

The Padres’ biggest names turned a Cubs rematch into an October statement behind early home runs and another brilliant Michael King start.

Published: Wednesday, 30 September 2026 at 4:38 AM
Padres stars waste no time taking over Wild Card Game 1 against Cubs
Key Things to Know
  • San Diego's stars led the Padres to an early 7-0 advantage against the Chicago Cubs in Wild Card Game 1.
  • Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado both hit first-inning home runs off Cubs starting pitcher Matthew Boyd.
  • Starting pitcher Michael King threw seven scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out eight Cubs batters.
The Story in 60 Seconds

The San Diego Padres defeated the Chicago Cubs in Game 1 of their Wild Card series behind an offensive surge from their top stars. Fernando Tatis Jr. led off with a home run on the very first pitch against Cubs starter Matthew Boyd, and Manny Machado added another first-inning solo home run to set the tone early at Petco Park.

San Diego built a 7-0 advantage with additional contributions from Xander Bogaerts and Jackson Merrill. Meanwhile, pitcher Michael King delivered a dominant performance on the mound, holding the Cubs hitless through six frames and finishing with one hit allowed and eight strikeouts across seven scoreless innings.

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