Cubs eliminate Padres, advance to face Brewers in NLDS

Field Level Media|published: Thu 2nd October, 20:36 2025

MLB: Wildcard-San Diego Padres at Chicago Cubs

Oct 2, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (7) tags out San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) during the sixth inning during game three of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images

Michael Busch homered to cap a three-hit performance, helping the host Chicago Cubs advance to the National League Division Series with a 3-1 victory over the San Diego Padres on Thursday.

Chicago secured a 2-1 victory in the best-of-three NL wild-card series, paving the way for a matchup against the top-seeded Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS. Game 1 of the best-of-five series is set for Saturday in Milwaukee.

Pete Crow-Armstrong delivered an RBI single in the second inning to highlight his three-hit performance.

Dansby Swanson worked a bases-loaded walk later in the second and turned in several stellar defensive plays for the Cubs, who rebounded from a 3-0 setback on Wednesday.

Chicago had 13 hits Thursday after totaling just 10 in the previous two games.

Daniel Palencia (2-0) allowed two hits in 1 1/3 scoreless innings to pick up his second win of the series. He struck out two batters without surrendering a hit in 1 2/3 scoreless innings in the Cubs' 3-1 victory in Game 1 on Tuesday.

Drew Pomeranz retired all three batters he faced in the seventh inning and Brad Keller worked the eighth before allowing a lead-off homer to Jackson Merrill in the ninth. Keller rebounded to strike out Xander Bogaerts before hitting both Ryan O'Hearn and Bryce Johnson with a pitch.

Andrew Kittredge, working on his third straight day, induced Jake Cronenworth to ground out and Freddy Fermin to fly out to secure the save.

Busch deposited a 2-2 fastball from Robert Suarez over the wall in right-center field to lead off the seventh inning and stake Chicago to a 3-0 lead.

The Cubs seized a 2-0 lead after their first five batters reached base in the second inning.

Kyle Tucker singled and advanced to third on Seiya Suzuki's double to left field. Carson Kelly was hit by a pitch from Yu Darvish (0-1) to load the bases before Crow-Armstrong's RBI single plated Tucker with the game's first run. Darvish departed in favor of fellow former Cubs pitcher Jeremiah Estrada, who promptly walked Swanson on seven pitches with the bases loaded.

Darvish permitted two runs on four hits in one-plus inning.

--Field Level Media