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by Carlos Zabala | in MLB Picks
A 424-foot home run by Suzuki and a back-to-back home run by Carson Kelly turned the score in favor of the Cubs in the first game of the series against the Padres. The Cubs won the Wild Card Series opener 3-1 with a perfect bullpen performance. Daniel Palencia pitched in the fifth inning and earned the W; Pomeranz and Kittredge each recorded a hold, and Keller earned his first save of the season. None of the four pitchers who came out of the Cubs' bullpen allowed even a single hit.
This revives the specter of the Padres' hitting disappearing in the playoffs, just as it did in 2024. Between Tatis, Arraez, and Machado, they went 0-for-11 with three strikeouts among the top three in the lineup; only Bogaerts had a pair of clutch hits in the loss.
Ultimately, it was a close game, where the small things went in the Cubs' favor. Swanson, who went 1-for-3, contributed an over-the-shoulder catch at shortstop to prevent the Padres from scoring runs, a moment that proved key to Chicago's victory.
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San Diego Padres vs Chicago Cubs Form
San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs Latest Matches
4/6 (67%)
2/6 (33%)
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5/6 (83%)
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3/6 (50%)
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5/6 (83%)
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5/6 (83%)
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2/6 (33%)
4/6 (67%)
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San Diego Padres against Chicago Cubs : Head to Head (H2H)
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San Diego Padres - Chicago Cubs Key Points
- The Padres only had four hits in Tuesday's loss
- The Cubs have returned to the playoffs since their last appearance in 2020
- The Cubs' record at Wrigley Field is 50-31
- The Cubs have won their last four games
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Our San Diego Padres vs Chicago Cubs Prediction
For the Cubs, Andrew Kittredge, the pitcher scheduled for Game 2, the closest betting option in the wild-card series played Wednesday, is expected to record the first outs of the game before the ball is given to Imanaga for bulk relief work.
The Padres face another elimination game in which they will turn to Dylan Cease, who, although he has a 4.55 ERA in 2025, closed the regular season on an encouraging note, pitching 5 innings of only one ER and 8 strikeouts against the Brewers.
Our prediction for Padres vs Cubs is: Cubs ML.
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