CHICAGO -- With their backs against the wall, the San Diego Padres started quickly and then tacked on with the long ball in a 3-0 win over the Chicago Cubs in game two of the NL Wild Card series on Wednesday at Wrigley Field.
Manny Machado provided the only runner in scoring position hit of the afternoon, a critical two-run home run in the fifth inning that provided additional cushion as the Padres forced a decisive third game. Chicago will be looking to avoid dropping a third consecutive Wild Card series.
Machado’s two-out blast came off torching a middle-middle splitter from Shota Imanaga for his 12th career postseason home run and first since game one of the 2024 NLDS. It was the Padres' first hit with a runner in scoring position after coming up empty on their first seven chances, extending their lead to 3-0.
"I saw a split. He threw it to me and Tatis earlier in the game. It was pretty good, so just trying to get something," Machado said. "He throws that fastball up in the zone and changeup off of it. You really can't sit on anything, but just try to get something on the dish."
That backed up a pair of career-long postseason appearances by starter Dylan Cease and reliever Adrian Morejon, as Cease went 3 ⅔ scoreless on three hits, five strikeouts and a walk and Morejon followed with 2 ⅓ unblemished with a K to earn the win. San Diego pitchers combined to limit the Cubs to three hits and only faced three RISP situations all afternoon.
"To make it from 1-0 to 3-0, that's a big jump. When you play this game for a long time you know how big that is, especially in the playoffs," said shortstop Xander Bogaerts. "One run leads are never safe, no leads are every safe actually (emphasis added), but having a little room for error, that's huge, especially managing the bullpen and everything, it just changes the game."
Mason Miller struck out five batters across 1 ⅔ innings before hitting Michael Busch with a pitch. Robert Suarez came on the four-out save, getting a running catch from Fernando Tatis Jr. to end the eighth and then closed it out with a double play to earn the save.
"It's beneficial for all of us that we're able to match up and (Morejon) has been so good with lefties, righties, and his efficiency has made him super valuable too, but everybody's ability to go one-plus has been really helpful too," Miller said.
Padres pitchers have allowed just six runner in scoring position at bats for the Cubs over the first two games, with Chicago leaving eight runners on base. San Diego is 3-for-18 in RISP situations for the series.
After the top three for the Padres went 0-for-11 in game one, Tatis and Luis Arraez started with back-to-back singles against opener Andrew Kittredge. The duo executed a one-out double-steal on an elevated fastball to Jackson Merrill, enabling the center fielder to hit a sacrifice fly to right field for the early lead.
"We went out there with a mission, and we were going out there to complete it," Tatis said.
The next opportunity came in the third, when Freddy Fermin lined a splitter from Imanaga down the left field line for a lead off double. But San Diego came up empty when the top of the order couldn’t get good contact on pitches hit, as Tatis inside-outed a down and in fastball to pop out down the right field line, Arraez grounded out on a low splitter and Machado flew out.
Cease cruised through the first two innings, allowing a hit and notching three strikeouts. He faced his first RISP situation during the third when Dansby Swanson led off with a single and took second on a wild pitch. Morejon began warming up, but Cease was able to get a line out and a fly out to get out of the inning.
"He was spotting his pitches throughout, his velocity was good, his off speed was good, kept them off balance, the bullpen came in (and) did a good job, the whole year these guys have been pretty much the heart and soul of everything that we've got going on and it showed up big time today," Bogaerts said.
The San Diego starter would be lifted in the fourth after getting the first two outs and allowing a double to Seiya Suzuki and intentionally walking Carson Kelly. Cease was in the zone with 46 of his 69 pitches in the afternoon, a 3.4% higher strike rate than his season average of 63.2%. Morejon retired Pete Crow-Armstrong on a ground out to end the inning.
"If you're going to pitch in the Big Leagues, especially now, you're going to have a plus arm. We had fire coming out everywhere around this league," said manager Mike Shildt. "One of the separators for our group, the guys were on display today, Morejon, Miller, Suarez, but also Estrada, Peralta, Morgan, Bradgley showing that, is the ability to trust their stuff and be aggressive. All these guys are really special with their arm talent, Morejon, Miller, Suarez, but the impressive thing is they have pitches.
"They're pitching, and they're not going to make a situation bigger than it is. That says a lot for them. It's a separator."
The Padres will be looking to win an NL Wild Card series after dropping the first game for the second time, having come back against the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2020 MLB Postseason. The 2024 New York Mets are the only other lower seeded team to win an NL Wild Card series that went the distance; the lower seeded team has never won an MLB Wild Card series after dropping the first game.
"Same mindset, continue to go. There's still a lot at stake just like there was today. Our backs are still up against the wall, so go out there and try and play our best baseball for the next 27 outs," Machado said. "I think ultimately that's what it comes down to, who makes the least mistakes and who can take advantage of the situation. Just go play another 27 hard outs."
For game three, the Padres will turn to Yu Darvish (5-5, 5.38 ERA) while the Cubs have yet to name a starter. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. Pacific at Wrigley Field, with the game being nationally televised by ABC.
This story was updated at 4:46 p.m.