Padres Sweep Cubs in Wild Card Series, Advance to NLDS
San Diego reverses last year's loss with dominant pitching and timely hitting to win the series 2-0 at Petco Park.
KEY POINTS
- Padres sweep Cubs 2-0 in NL Wild Card Series at Petco Park
- Gavin Sheets pinch-hit two-run homer powers 4-1 Game 2 win
- Padres pitching allows only 8 hits over 18 innings in series
- San Diego advances to NLDS vs. 103-win Milwaukee Brewers
- Reverses 2025 Wild Card loss to Cubs at Wrigley Field
The San Diego Padres swept the Chicago Cubs out of the National League Wild Card Series with a 4-1 victory in Game 2 on Wednesday night, completing a two-game reversal of last year's postseason loss at Wrigley Field. Pinch-hitter Gavin Sheets delivered a two-run homer in the fourth inning, while five Padres pitchers combined on a five-hitter to silence the majors' highest-scoring offense.
San Diego's pitching staff allowed just eight hits over 18 innings across the series. In the opener Tuesday, Michael King carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, striking out eight in an 8-0 rout sparked by leadoff and first-inning homers from Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado. The Padres held the Cubs to a .098 batting average in the series.
“It gives me confidence knowing the team has confidence in me to pitch in these games. But then when you have our superstars showing out like that in the bottom of the first, it makes it a lot easier.”
The sweep sends San Diego to the NL Division Series against the 103-win Milwaukee Brewers beginning Saturday in Milwaukee. San Diego finished the regular season with the best record in baseball over the final 59 games at 41-18, earning home-field advantage for the Wild Card round under new ownership led by Jose E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones.
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