The Padres’ road to bringing postseason baseball home to San Diego

The Padres’ late-season run did more than secure a playoff spot. It brought the Wild Card Series back to Petco Park.

By Bill Burge · East Village Times

Published: Saturday, 3 October 2026 at 1:00 AM

Key Things to Know

The Padres rebounded from midseason struggles to capture the top NL Wild Card spot and host postseason games.
San Diego swept the Chicago Cubs in two games at Petco Park to advance to the NLDS.
The Padres went 41-18 from July 24 onward after sitting at 48-48 during the All-Star break.

The Story in 60 Seconds

The San Diego Padres overcame an eight-game losing streak and a .500 record at the All-Star break to secure the top National League Wild Card seed. After finishing the regular season on a 41-18 run from late July, San Diego hosted the Chicago Cubs at Petco Park and completed a two-game sweep to advance to the National League Division Series.

San Diego reinforced its rotation at the trade deadline by acquiring Robbie Ray and Casey Mize before Joe Musgrove returned from Tommy John surgery. Key late-season contributions from Jackson Merrill and Dustin Harris, along with strong pitching from Michael King, helped the club clinch their playoff berth and sweep Chicago.

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The Padres’ road to bringing postseason baseball home to San Diego

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