Chicago Cubs Prepare for Wild-Card Battle Against San Diego Padres

The Chicago Cubs, entering as the No. 5 seed, are set to square off against the San Diego Padres, who hold the fourth seed, in a best-of-three National League wild-card series. This competition kicks off on Tuesday at Petco Park.

For the fourth year in a row, the Cubs secured the second spot in the NL Central, with the Milwaukee Brewers clinching their fourth straight division title. Reflecting on their recent playoff history, last year the Cubs prevailed over the Padres in a wild-card series at Wrigley Field, albeit their postseason journey ended with a 3-2 loss to the Brewers in the division series.

This season, the Cubs have a strong record against the Padres, winning five of six encounters and outscoring them 55-28. A standout victory was their 23-3 triumph on July 1. The only postseason series played by the Cubs in San Diego was the 1984 National League Championship Series, which saw the Padres win all three home games and clinch the series 3-2.

No. 5 Cubs vs. No. 4 Padres

All games broadcast on Peacock/NBCSN

Game 1: Tuesday, 9 p.m.

Game 2: Wednesday, 9 p.m.

Game 3: Thursday, TBD, if needed

Division series scheduled October 3-10, best of five, 2-2-1 format

No. 1 Brewers vs. Cubs/Padres winner

No. 2 Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Atlanta Braves/No. 6 seed winner

Championship series scheduled October 11-20, best of seven, 2-3-2 format

More Cubs Highlights

The Cubs are carefully planning their wild-card rotation, especially as they observe Kevin Gausman’s shoulder condition. Additionally, fans are eagerly anticipating if they’ll witness a repeat performance from Pete Crow-Armstrong and Shohei Ohtani in October.

A notable achievement for the Cubs is Pete Crow-Armstrong’s landmark 40-40 season, a feat only accomplished by six other players in MLB history.

Both Chicago teams, the Cubs and the White Sox, are poised to engage in wild-card series, beginning on the road this Tuesday. Despite Alex Bregman’s comeback efforts, the Cubs faced a challenging doubleheader sweep, impacting their home wild-card chances.