SAN DIEGO – The Chicago Cubs must quickly overcome a poor overall performance to extend their season.
Their postseason turned into a nightmare almost immediately in the Cubs’ 8-0 loss in which they were held to three hits in Game 1 of the wild-card series Tuesday night against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.
“You never want to play from behind,” manager Craig Counsell said. “That means we have to score, and we didn’t score. There’s nothing more than that really.”
Matthew Boyd doesn’t usually go to his post to open a game. The veteran southpaw’s second most used pitch helps counter his fastball, especially against right-handed hitters. Boyd hadn’t thrown a first-pitch changeup to start a start in 56 games, dating back to Game 3 of the 2024 American League Championship Series, when he delivered one to Fernando Tatís Jr. in the bottom of the first inning.
Tatís looked ready for it, crushing a 405-foot leadoff home run to spark a frenzy among the 47,084 fans. Two batters later, Manny Machado didn’t miss his 0-1 changeup, taking a 2-0 lead for the Padres. Tatís and Machado teamed up again in the third when Machado’s RBI double off the right-center field wall scored Tatís, who had walked.
Afterward, Boyd said he knew Tatís was going to swing on the first pitch he threw in the first inning.
“The numbers indicate he’s going to come through this, anticipating a change,” Boyd said. “I just wanted it to be farther away, lower than it was. And that’s really what it comes down to. I needed to execute it better.”
The Padres completed a three against Boyd when Xander Bogaerts hit another changeup in the fourth inning to put the Cubs in a four-run hole. Boyd had given up six home runs during his change (546 pitches) in the regular season. He had done away with the long ball in September, not allowing a home run in five starts spanning 29 2/3 innings.
As for whether he was under the impression the Padres were continuing to pursue his move, Boyd acknowledged the possibility: “I’m sure they were.”
“It’s a pitch that suits me. It’s a pitch that I use a lot and, I mean, at this point in the year, there’s no secrets from anyone,” Boyd said. “You just have to be more specific with it. That means they’re looking for it, it doesn’t mean you can’t throw. You just have to be more specific with it.
“We had a lot of success with the fastball. I think that speaks to what they expected from me. They look soft and whatnot, and that doesn’t mean you can’t throw the changeup. I needed to be better with that.”
As the Padres continued to ambush Boyd’s changeup, the Cubs went 6 1/3 innings before getting a hit off Michael King on Nico Hoerner’s single down the third-base line. They didn’t get another one until Seiya Suzuki’s one-out single in the ninth.
The early four-run deficit was even greater as King faced the Cubs. They had a chance to cut into the Padres’ lead in the second and third innings with a runner in scoring position in each frame, but were unable to pull away. The Cubs did not allow a runner past second base after Pete Crow-Armstrong swiped second base in the third inning.
King struck out Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman in five of their six plate appearances. He got Bregman to hit his nasty sweeper twice.
“He was tearing it up,” Bregman said. “I just didn’t make any adjustments in my hitting against him. Maybe I wasn’t really expecting that (throwing), so I’m going to have to make some adjustments a little quicker.”
San Diego continued to attack the bullpen. Jackson Merrill’s bases-loaded two-run single off left-hander Ryan Rolison, followed by catcher Carson Kelly’s passed ball, resulted in a three-run fifth inning. The lack of sharpness extended to the defensive end when Kelly’s throw to shortstop Dansby Swanson on Tatís’ steal in the seventh skipped into left field. The throwing error allowed Tatís to score from second, easily beating Ian Happ’s throw.
The Cubs didn’t have many options to start Game 1 when they finally settled on Boyd, who finished with four runs allowed on five hits, one walk and four strikeouts.
Right-hander Kevin Gausman appeared lined up to get the ball Tuesday night, but a freak injury to his left shoulder on a diving dive in his final regular-season start last Wednesday seemingly thwarted that plan. His shoulder didn’t feel good in the days that followed, and his pregame bullpen Tuesday went well enough for Gausman to start Game 2 on Wednesday.
Clay Holmes and David Peterson starting Friday’s doubleheader meant Wednesday would be the first day they would be available on normal rest.
Photos from Game 1: Chicago Cubs vs. San Diego Padres
The Cubs found ways to survive the past few postseasons, winning three postseason games before their journey finally ended in the deciding Game 5 of the National League Division Series. Just like a year ago, this group must find a way to extend its season on Wednesday.
“Not every phase of the game went well,” Bregman said. “So you flush the toilet, turn the page, it’s that time of year, and I have all the confidence in the world this group can bounce back tomorrow.
“You have no choice but to do it, and then you get to the next day and you fight and you lay it all out there.”
Gn sports
