The San Diego Padres delivered a dominant statement on Tuesday night, securing an 8-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series at Petco Park. Fueled by early home runs and a stellar pitching performance, the Padres moved just one win away from advancing to the National League Division Series.
San Diego set an aggressive tone right from the opening frame against Cubs starting pitcher Matthew Boyd. Leading off the bottom of the first inning, Fernando Tatis Jr. crushed Boyd’s first pitch 405 feet into left-center field. The blast marked the first postseason leadoff home run in Padres franchise history. Just moments later, Manny Machado followed with a two-run shot to deep left-center, putting the Padres up 2-0 before the first inning concluded.
Michael King Throws Dominant Seven Innings
The early run support was more than enough for Padres starting pitcher Michael King. The right-hander put on a pitching clinic, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning and completely silencing the majors’ highest-scoring team. King began his night by striking out probable National League MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong on three pitches.
King’s bid for a no-hitter ended with one out in the seventh inning when Nico Hoerner poked an infield single. Despite a brief PitchCom issue, King settled down immediately, recording back-to-back strikeouts to cap off a remarkable evening. He finished his night throwing seven stellar innings, allowing just one hit, three walks, and striking out eight batters to earn a standing ovation from the sellout crowd.
Padres Continue Power Display
San Diego’s offense did not slow down after the first inning. In the bottom of the third, Tatis drew a walk and quickly came around to score when Machado launched an RBI double off the wall in right-center field. The extra-base hit drove the score further out of reach.
In the fourth inning, Xander Bogaerts added to the tally by launching a 399-foot solo home run into the seats above the Western Metal Supply Co. building in left field, capping a lengthy eight-pitch at-bat against the Cubs pitching staff. The Padres extended their lead further in the fifth frame when Jackson Merrill lined a two-run single with the bases loaded off reliever Javier Assad. A subsequent passed ball brought home Ty France to make it 7-0.
Tatis manufactured the game’s final run in the bottom of the seventh inning. After hitting an infield single, he stole second base and alertly came all the way home when the throw trickled into center field, sliding headfirst past the tag to push the advantage to 8-0.
Left-hander Yuki Matsui pitched a clean 1-2-3 eighth inning for San Diego. In the ninth inning, the Padres welcomed back veteran right-hander Joe Musgrove for his first major league appearance since October 2, 2024, following his recovery from Tommy John surgery. Musgrove navigated some early traffic to strike out pinch-hitter Michael Conforto, preserving the shutout and sealing the Game 1 victory.
Looking Ahead to Game 2
With a 1-0 series lead securely in hand, the Padres will look to punch their ticket to the NLDS on Wednesday night at Petco Park. Game 2 features Nick Pivetta on the mound for San Diego, while Kevin Gausman takes the ball for the Chicago Cubs as they fight to keep their postseason hopes alive.
