Fernando Tatis Jr. hit the first leadoff homer in Padres playoff history on the Cubs’ first pitch, Michael King took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and San Diego rolled to an 8-0 victory over Chicago in their NL Wild Card Series opener on Tuesday night.
Manny Machado also homered in the first inning and added an RBI double in the third during an emphatic opening statement by the 91-win Padres. Xander Bogaerts also homered off Cubs starter Matthew Boyd, and Jackson Merrill added a two-run single later.
San Diego provided more than enough support for King, who struck out eight over seven stellar innings while thoroughly throttling the majors' highest-scoring team. King set the tone by striking out probable NL MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong with the first three pitches.
“It gives me confidence knowing the team has confidence in me to pitch in these games,” King said. “But then when you have our superstars showing out like that in the bottom of the first, it makes it a lot easier.”
Nico Hoerner got the Cubs’ only hit off King with a one-out infield single in the seventh, but King racked up two more strikeouts to earn the last of several standing ovations from the raucous sellout crowd watching his third career playoff start.
“The crowd was awesome,” Chicago manager Craig Counsell said. “They had a lot to cheer about tonight, and we didn't give them anything to be quiet about.”
Game 2 is Wednesday night at Petco Park. The series winner faces the MLB-best Milwaukee Brewers in the best-of-five division series.
Chicago had just one hit before getting to Joe Musgrove, the Padres veteran making his first major league appearance since Oct. 2, 2024, in the ninth inning. The Cubs got two singles and a walk before Musgrove struck out pinch-hitter Michael Conforto to preserve the shutout in his return from Tommy John surgery.
The Padres dominated the opener of this rematch of last fall’s Wild Card Series, won by the Cubs in three tight games. San Diego scored more runs in the first five innings of this series opener than it did last year in all three games at Wrigley Field combined.
When asked if his postseason managerial debut could have gone any better, San Diego's Craig Stammen replied: “No, probably not."
“We couldn't write it up any better ... (but) it's just one game, and we've got a job to do to finish the series off," Stammen added. "The Cubs are a great team. They didn't play their best game tonight, but I guarantee they're going to play their best game tomorrow.”
San Diego finished this season with the majors’ sixth-best record, besting Chicago by two wins and setting franchise records with its third straight playoff berth and fifth straight winning record. The Padres hit the postseason on a 17-3 roll, and they’re still surging.
Boyd’s opening pitch was a changeup, and Tatis crushed it 405 feet to center in a blast reminiscent of his first-inning homer in Game 1 of San Diego’s 2024 NL Wild Card Series victory over Atlanta.
Moments later, Machado smashed another changeup out to left-center, setting off pandemonium at Petco with his franchise-record ninth postseason homer.
“Honestly, it was hard to stay locked in in the bottom of the first,” King said with a smile. “I love to celebrate my guys hitting homers, but obviously I have a job to do. Hard to stay dialed in on what I was doing because it was an absolutely electric atmosphere.”
Tatis walked in the third and scored from first on Machado’s double to the wall. Bogaerts connected in the fourth, lining a full-count changeup into the seats on the Western Metal Supply Co. building above left field.
“When those guys are leading the charge, we're a pretty tough team,” Stammen said.
San Diego loaded the bases in the fifth against reliever Javier Assad, and Merrill cracked a two-run single to center before Ty France scored on a passed ball.
King escaped the minor trouble he faced, picking up key strikeouts and throwing his sweeper superbly. Hoerner got Chicago’s hit on a grounder that Machado stopped with difficulty, but couldn’t transfer to his throwing hand cleanly enough to make a play.
Tatis scored his third run in the seventh when he singled, stole second and ran all the way home when the throw trickled into center. Tatis slid headfirst past the tag and came up screaming while Machado theatrically signaled him safe.
Up next
Nick Pivetta (3-2, 2.86 ERA) starts Game 2 for the Padres in his fifth game back from a near five-month absence with a right elbow injury. Kevin Gausman (4-2, 4.83) goes for the Cubs.
