Chicago Cubs vs San Diego Padres | Full Game | MLB – Wild Card – Final | Game 1

Chicago Cubs vs San Diego Padres | Full Game | MLB – Wild Card – Final | Game 1

season. Last year, San Diego swept Atlanta in the wild card series, lost in five to the Dodgers in the division series. The Cubs in search of their first postseason win since 2017. The San Diego starting lineup 18th in baseball runs per game, but they are pretty well healthy though without Ramon Lauraniano, a key bat. Fernando Tatis Jr. leads it off. Jackson Merrill has gotten hot. the 22-year-old center fielder in the middle and Ryan O’Harn, a trade deadline acquisition, provides some left-handed punch. There are five left-handed hitters in Mike Schultz line up against one of the best left-handed pitchers in the National League. And Ben, that is the All-Star Matthew Boy. Yeah, having a career year in his 11th big league season. Career-high 14 wins, career best 321 RA. And he loves the friendly confines. How about at home here at Wrigley Field? 15 starts, 12 and one. in a 251 ERA. Now KB, his last nine starts, man, he’s not been quite as good. He got off out of the gates quickly, but over his last nine starts, a 551 ERA. So, we’ll see where he’s at. Matthew Boyd’s fourth postseason start, fifth postseason game. 12 innings, no earned. His postseason debut as a Cub begins with a fast ball fouled away by Fernando Tatis Jr. And at 208 local, we are underway on this spectacular, sunny, just about cloudless Tuesday afternoon from Wrigley Field. Tatis, Luis Arise, and Manny Machado, the San Diego team, which hit the third fewest home runs in baseball in the regular season. But Fernando Tatis Jr. hit 25 of those and he is coming off a monstrous postseason a year ago. Tatis chases the But it’s one of two. Yeah. What makes this Padre offense tough though is they don’t strike out very much at all. They got the third fewest strikeouts in baseball. So they will work the count. They’ll work the pitch count on the pitcher as well and try to get that pitch count up. Big contact team. And that’s I think the biggest thing is they sacrifice some of that slug throughout their lineup to be able to put the ball in play. And we talked to Mike Sch before the game. He said, “Look, we’ve been playing a postseason style of baseball all year. We are not afraid to bunt, to move runners over.” And though you often hear about teams slugging their way through the postseason, the Padres’s feel like they’ve simulated what they can do and play to their strengths for 162. On 3-2, Tatis grounds the ball to Dansby Swanson, former goal at shorts it up for the lead off of the postseason. Well, Danby Swanson, man, two-time Gold Glover, he can do it over at the shortstop position and he just solid as they come. Been around for a while. You mentioned Pico Armstrong of the open chest. This is one of the strengths of the Cubs team. Defensively, they are as good as anybody. So, a very contactoriented team in San Diego as you mentioned and Luis Arise the most contact oriented guy in baseball. You can’t turn a lot of balls and play to hits though against the Cubs. No, I mean we talk about Dan Anthony Swanson. Talked about Pete Crow, I’m sure. Nico Horn hero at second base. I mean that’s a shortstop playing second. Rise with a ground ball foul. It’s one and one. Say Suzuki up right and Ian Hap in left. I mean some of the best three you’re going to see out there covering ground. And I’m going to tell you what, as a pitcher being on the bump, when you got that kind of defense behind you, wind blowing slightly in here at Wrigleyfield, it just makes you want to be a little bit more aggressive in the strike zone, too. Arise fouls a fast ball out of play. 94 from Matthew Boyd, who is throwing harder than ever in this his 11th big league year. It’s been a renaissance season for the former sixrounder out of Oregon State all the way back in 2013. How about 17 quality starts in 31. That’s a good number. A rise into left field. The first sunball of the game handled neatly by Ian H. Well, Matthew Boy was great in the first half. Not as airtight down the stretch. Partly maybe because of fatigue. more innings pitched this season than in his previous three combined. Yeah, he only threw what 124 innings combined in 22 23 and 24. You see where the number is now over 180 for the season. So yeah, absolutely that could have had something to do with not being quite as sharp in the second half. Two down, Manny Machado. Yeah, Machado knocks a first pitch fast ball out of play. But this is also the time of the year you get a little bit extra adrenaline flow, too. And if you are a little bit fatigued, it seems to go away during the postseason. Man with all kinds of October experience. Pado rockets the ball to third. It’s picked cleanly by the rookie Matt Shaw. Left side of the infield rock solid and a one, two, three for Matthew Boyd. It’ll be Bush her and H when we come back. Talked about the D. Didn’t even get to Matt Shaw over at third base. Great reacts on a line drive to get the last out. Game in baseball this year, the Chicago Cubs nearly five runs a game with all stars and big bats all over. Wondering how healthy Kyle Tucker will be in the middle of that lineup. It is a perilous one through nine for any pitcher to deal with. And the man who has to deal with it today, Nick Pavetta, the game one assignment for San Diego as he’ll take on Michael Bush to start. Pavetta 32 years old and he too having a career year. A long fly to center from Bush driving Jackson Merrill to the wall. That is a well struck ball but well struck balls at Wrigley Field the last couple of years do not go terribly far most of the time. A long fly out in what has become this windy pitcher haven the last couple of seasons. Yeah, when it’s pushing in and it’s slightly pushing in today and that definitely kept that ball in the ballpark. You talk about Pavetta careerhigh in wins, erra, innings, pitch, strikeouts, and opponent’s batting average as well. Strike one to Nicoer 95 from Pavetta. He’s got a good hard fast ball and a terrific curveball. He showcases to lefties, a great sweeper to righties as well. the best allaround second baseman in baseball takes a little low for ball one. Yeah, Petta going to be heavy on that four seam fast. He’ll throw you an occasional two seamer, but it’s 46% four seamers and he likes it at the top of the zone. He’s got a little spin rate with it as well. But think about this, 110 of his 190 strikeouts have been on the fast. Slaps the ball through the right side. He’s got the first hit of this wildard series. appropriately so for the Cubs hits leader. Whole lot of fast balls. Well, that’s exactly what the Chicago Cubs like to hit. This is Nicoer in a nutshell, too. And you think about how he’s able to get his hits. He’s not a big slug, even though there’s a lot of slug in this lineup. Just pokes it through the right side for a hit. Well, we talked about the Padres’s. They don’t strike out much, but the Cubs only the sixth fewest strikeouts in baseball. So, both of these teams going to put the ball in play. comes doing a little bit more with the power to eat as we check in downstairs with Jesse Rogers. Yeah, guys, Elias Diaz, the regular catcher for Dick Paveta, not on the playoff roster due to an oblique injury. So, Freddy Fain is catching him for the first time. Now, the three of them, Paveta, Diaz, and Fain sat with each other for the last 24 hours, really went over the game plan. But talking to the Padres’s people, the problem is if Paveta gets off a little bit, can for me bring him back in rhythm in time the way that Diaz could, it’s an issue. Now, how big of an issue it is remains to be seen. But Ben, I’m sure you’ve gone through that as well. A guy catching you for the first time, it’s not easy. Yeah, it’s a comfort factor. And and when I’ve had a guy all year long and all a sudden a different face shows up behind you on the plate, it can be difficult for sure. But Nick Petta has been around, look, this is his ninth big league season. He is making what his 210th career start. So he’s been around a little bit too, but still the comfort factor is going a little bit for Nick Pavetto and Diaz who hurt his obliques Saturday not on the postseason roster takes fast right at the top of the zone. Eric Beckas has strike two. Diaz caught every inning but one for Paveta this season and it’s for me and another trade deadline pickup for Kansas City. one of the biggest starts of his life. Right over the inside corner, PTOA runs the fast for strike three and he freezes the switch hitting he best pitch in baseball right there. A lot of hitters are going to sit back and look all speed with two strikes. Paveta just takes that four seam fast and just rips it right to the inside part of the plate. And nothing Ian Hap can do but take a look at that one. That’s how you finish right there. You can’t throw a four seamer on the inside part any better than that right there. F Tucker with a first pitch popup that will get out of play. This is one of the big question marks coming into the series, Jess. We’ve seen not many better all-around players in baseball the last few years than Kyle Tucker. But only three games back from a calf strain. Still not healthy enough to play the field. Biggest question mark in this lineup, Kyle Tucker. He’s dhing in this one, but is the bat there? He’s gotten a few at bats before heading into the postseason, but the timing isn’t there yet. That left cast strain which kept him out quite a bit. Still having a hard time. Not 100%. Just kind of removing that from your mind. I mean, Ben, you talk about adrenaline for the pitchers. It kicks in for an injured player and you’re definitely able to ignore a whole lot more of that. Kyle Tucker, they’re going to need him if they want to advance in this postseason. I’m sure they would have loved to send Tucker on a rehab assignment, let him get some at bats on his belt, but it just wasn’t the right time of the year to do so. So, yeah, he’s got to kind of feel his way. Good news is Kyle Tucker has dealt with this before a couple of seasons ago after a late injury. Had a great postseason run for Houston. He is in his 65th playoff game. Just a 229 hitter, 309 on base all time in the playoffs. And Tucker strikes out here 96 above the zone. Two Ks for Pava and a scoreless first. This presentation of the MLB opportunity knowing everything about like grandfather growing up here, you know, being a cop. It’s cool. And uh yeah, I think 2016 was one of the happiest days of his life. I get to be a cub now. It’s pretty cool. Matthew Boyd yesterday after learning he was the game one starter thinking about his grandfather John Boyd who grew up in Chicago grew up a Cubs fan and for Matthew Boyd a 12 and one record at home a game one start in Chicago. He’s got a little flare to right field that will land from Jackson Merrill on his way to second. Merrell with a hustle double trying to spoil this emotional game one for Boyd. He’s got the Padres’s first hit. Look where this pitch is located to. This is so part of the Padres’s and what they can do. This is a slider in off the plate. But when you have a swing that’s just trying to put the ball in play, this is what Jackson Merill. But watch him out of the box as soon as he recognizes this ball’s going to drop in. He’s not thinking base hit immediately thinking two. What would have been a single for most turns into double for Merrill. Merryill had himself a wonderful month in the month of September. Man, seven long balls in the month of September. By far his best month. Well, now let’s see if the Padres’s can do what they tend to do, advance runners from second and do so with a little small ball. Xander Bogard’s not looking to butt, but the experienced shortstop try to at least get Merryill to third with one out. 52nd career postseason game for Bogarts. A two-time World Series champion with Boston. It takes a two seamer for a strike. He’s just back from a foot fracture. Came back Tuesday after missing a month and fouled a ball off his left foot August 27th in Seattle. Has an insert in his shoe and a foot guard while batting. Well, and playing shortstop. I mean, that’s where it’s going to be able to threaten him the most is he talked about before the game, you know, feeling good in the cage, feeling good when he’s swinging the bat, even running the bases, but that lateral movement that he has to do defensively and that’s that’s the biggest ask when you have a fracture in your foot in search of a strike count. One and two. There’s a slider instead. would have been Kate Horton for Chicago today. The rookie was spectacular down the stretch. The rib fracture took him out of the equation. He’s on the IIL. Boyd is the guy as Bogarts pops up a ball to right and out of reach of Suzuki. Yeah, don’t sleep on Boyd though. He’s faced the Padres’s twice this year and he’s had good luck against them. Now, it was early. It was early in the year, right around middle middle of April, but he only gave up two earned runs in his two starts against the Padres’s. It’s an unusual match up. These teams haven’t played since Yeah. the middle of April. They played a couple of series and about a twoe span. Bogarts to left center field. That ball is blistered by Xander Bogarts. One hop off the Ivy. Forget moving the guy up on a routine grounder. Bogard scores. Meril on a double and takes third on the wayward throw. San Diego strikes first in the wildard and Xander Bogarts back from a fractured foot is right back in the swing of things. Boy, I tell you what, the Padres’s man, I know their offense hasn’t been great all year long, but you look at what they did the month of September. Nearly five runs per game. And this is a mistake right here. Just a heater right in the heart of the plate. And this is how you put barrel on ball. And as you said, KB, forget about trying to move that runner up. I’m gonna move him up. All right, I’m gonna move him all the way to home plate. Then Bogarts does that. A bullet out to left center field. Petro Armstrong quickly gets it in. Then you got a short hop over at the short stop position. Ball gets away and Bogarts takes an extra 90. An RBI double for Bogards. Carl Armstrong with a rare error and the infield pitched in for Ryan O’Harn who slashes one foul. PCA only two errors in the regular season with a costly mistake here in the second inning of the postseason. That ball was smoked under 9 miles an hour for Bogarts. Elevated heater man and he can turn around some fast balls and he did. Now a ground ball to short. Hansby Swanson makes a diving play to Rob O’Harn of a hit and rob San Diego of a run. This is going to be the theme. We’ve talked about it with the air, the rare air for Pete Crow Armstrong, but Danby Swanson up the middle to be able to have the reaction. This is 102 off the bat. This is not just your basic ground ball to shortstop. Dives to save the run. Also gets the out. I’ve I’ve been wondering why Bogart didn’t take off. I mean, most teams with one out, runner on third base, it’s moving on contact. And Bogarts is moving on contact right there because Danby Swanson had to go to the back end and slide. Bogart scores, but he was just locked up at third base. How critical could that play be in a series where you have two locked down bullpens ready to fire at any point? It’s up to Gavin Sheets now, the firstear Padre, a wonderful addition from the White Socks. Sheets with a popup shallow left Swanson and Shaw. And it’s the third baseman Shaw for out number two. [Applause] So, Matthew Boyd is one out away from limiting the damage. And this is a part of the Padres’s lineup where he could have the upper hand. Three lefties in a row, six, seven, and eight. Now, O’Harn and Croninorth, the batter right now, have been all right against lefties this year, but still San Diego with five lefties in the lineup. Mike Schil not afraid to stack up three in a row, even though he has an entirely right-handed bench. What’s very odd about Matthew Boyd, you look at the opponent’s batting average, outstanding on the year, but look at runners in scoring position. He’s trying to navigate and do he hadn’t been very good at this year. Poland’s hitting 361 runners in scoring position on Matthew Boyd. But one run was in runner at third base, nobody out. If he can navigate this and stop and just hold him just to one run, that’s going to be a win for Matthew Boyd. Very patient Cronorth on an 01 count. Swings away, hits a tapper to Swanson. Padres’s get one and only one. They leave Bogard at third with nobody out but open the ing in Chicago. Little bit in the tank in the second half. Bush Tucker, PCA, Suzuki, Swanson, all well down after the break. The young Matt Shaw, one of the few hitters who actually improved after the All-Star break. Regression of the mean or something more, that’s the question. Jose Suzuki did really get going down the stretch, homering in four straight games to close the regular season. What do you make of this Cubs offense as a whole? Well, I mean, that was one thing Craig Council talked about actually with Sea Suzuki being the one that they really needed to get back and we saw a lot of the regression come right after the All-Star break. But when you look at a lot of these bats, Pete Crow Armstar and Kyle Tucker, I mean, they’re a lot of them are coming back the last few weeks of the season. But for Suzuki, he needed to have what he did to end the season. I mean, you’re talking five home runs in the last four games to put that exclamation point. The Cubs did a good job of nickel and diamond it. The offense was great the first half. The pitching was pretty good. Well, when the offense faltered a little bit in the second half, the pitching actually elevated a little bit and that’s why the reason I mean, think about this. There’s only two teams in baseball this year out of 30 that did not have a losing month of the season. Only two teams. Both of them resided in the National League Central. Milwaukee Brewers did not have a losing month and the Chicago Cubs did not have a losing month either. Only two teams. So even through a little bit of offensive struggles, they still stayed very very consistent throughout. And that led to 92 and 70 for Craig Councel in his second year here. Nick has won two ripped to the screen by Suzuki. This is the first half team you guys that was number one in baseball run score per game. I mean, all the offensive categories, they they were best team in the National League. Was that the offense that this team is? Probably not. More top five. So, I think more regression of the mean the second half. You know what all those numbers mean about right now? Nothing. Not a thing. We’re going to give you a bunch of numbers throughout the day, but they don’t mean anything right now. Shallow center field. Merryill got a good chunk. And the former infielder, Jackson Merrill, who’s gotten way better at center field, makes a fine catch. Look how far he’s got to come for this, too. I mean, that’s the biggest thing. You got the sun, you got all the factors. I He came a long way to finish this off. Suzuki getting a curveball below the zone to even plop this down there. Well, Jackson Merrell had himself a year last year, didn’t he? Was an all-star, finished second, and the rookie of the year was silver slugger and an outstanding defender as well. lifelong shortstop who’s been playing center field in the bigs for two years and has been playing it very well this year at age 22. Yeah, it’s hard to believe he’s just 22 years old. Carson Kelly getting his first taste of the postseason. The 31-year-old catcher has been one of the great under the radar stories for the Cubs. Kelly who was released by the Diamondbacks two years ago. They would make the World Series, traded from the Tigers to the Rangers last year. The Tigers made the division series. And at age 31, he finally gets a taste of the postseason. And he’s been terrific for Chicago this year. Nick Paveta kind of staring in at Eric Bakas behind home plate. He thought he might have had a strike. That has got a good fast ball today though. You see it’s pretty much sitting 95 96. And with his extension guys, look, he’s got some extension too. 6’9 in. He lets it go towards home plate. The average big league pitcher lets it go about 6’4 in from the rubber toward home plate. So he’s got an extra 6 in. So that 96 is probably playing a little bit more like 98. 3-1 to Kelly 96 again. Analytical numbers favor Pavveno. High spin rate fast ball about 100 RPMs better than most. Well, you get to the breaking ball. He spins a breaking ball 2800 RPMs. Big league average on a breaking ball about 2550 to kind of give you an idea. So that breaking ball has a little more depth to it. spins a little bit faster than most. Kelly with a foul tip strike count. Another fast ball and Nick Paveta is letting it eat today. He struck out three of the last four. He is just letting it rip at the top of the zone. And again, his four seam fast ball, folks, for two reasons. One, it plays better to top the zone. Two, he’s eventually going to get to that curveball. That curve ball will come out of that same window. A high fast ball will eventually set up a good overhand breaking ball right out of the top window. But right now he’s have established his fast ball early. One nearly established a dent in the elbow of Pete Crow Armstrong. The PCA chance begin at the postseason. This 23-year-old who has just lit this city on fire and really did so with the first half ahead of the MVP conversation for a few months until his offense fell off. That’s what you’re going to see a whole lot from him. He loves to swing the bat. Super aggressive hitter. And this is part of his game. I mean, he will chase. He’ll go upstairs and try to get that fast ball. He will chase, but he will pull the ball. Stack cast powered by Google Cloud. One of the most extreme pole hitters in baseball as he misses another high heat. He keeps going after that one. It’s going to be a short day for him cuz 96 above the top of the zone off of Pavetto. Going to be tough to navigate that. But Pete Cro Armstrong, man, what a year he has had. When you start doing things never done in Cubs history before, and that’s what he did this year. You talk about 30 homers, 30 stolen bases, and 30 doubles. First Cub ever to do that. Chases again. I love it. He gets it. He fouls it off. Two straight swing and misses. Makes the adjustment. It’s a subtle adjustment. Chokes a little on the bat, but he’s not going to change his game plan. And that’s an aggressive hitter. And that’s three in a row up there. So if Paveta’s got any kind of breaking ball right now, he can start the curve ball in the same window, have it drop below the zone. One breaking ball in the inning. And there’s number two. Yeah. Right on Q. He hooks him and Paveta strikes out two in a perfect second. Wow. You get a guy chasing heaters up and you got a curveball like Paveta got, I’m telling you what, it’s going to be really, really tough. Three heaters up and then Uncle Charlie on the pass list tonight. and he just buries a breaking ball. Back to Wrigley Field. Let’s get downstairs to Jesse. Two hard with Mike Shel. What have you seen out of Paveta after those first two hard hit balls in the first? Yeah, set on in. I mean, we’ve got a lot of life to his ball today. It’s moving. It’s you know, last couple that that inning just exploding at the top of the zone. Breaking balls looking good. He looks like he’s in control. Xander Bogarts hit a mistake pitch to drive in a run. I wonder if the Jackson Mirror at bat was just as impressive. pulled his hands in, letting out a double. Yeah. Yeah. Just nice piece of hitting by Jackson Bogey with a great approach. Really try to take to the middle, move him over. Got a ball he could do some damage on and, you know, play away with the lead. I’m grateful for the wind blowing in on that lead off fly ball by Michael Bush. Yeah, blow it in now. We’ll see you later. All right, Mike. Thanks. Thanks, Jess. Appreciate it. Back to you, Kevin. Jesse, thank you. Mike Schill, second season as Padres’s manager, second year taking San Diego to the postseason. What do you make of their approach? So far, Jess, against Matthew Boyd, they’re being aggressive early and again, this is a more of a contact hitting team, so they’re late a little bit on the fast ball, but they’re they’re ready more for the change up the sliders. You know, that’s what’s coming off of it. Matthew Boyd got two fast ball pitching, striketh throwing pitchers attacking very quick. That change up so often a two strike weapon as he’s ahead of Freddy Fine. Elevates a change up there. Gentine has been the Padres’s regular starter since the deadline. But Elas Diaz, Nick Pettis catcher. He’s caught every inning but one. So far, Ben looks to be pretty good for Freddy Fine. He looks pretty comfortable back there. You know, the key for Boyd and a lot of pitches is shoving that four seamer up in the zone and shoving it to the inside part of the plate to the right-handed hitters just to speed those bats up enough to get to really what’s been his best pitch in that change up. your opponent’s hitting just 205 off the change up by Boyd so far this year. Well, Boyd so far has been at now four two strike counts. He’s looking for his first punch out. This is what San Diego does. They will try to grind you down. Third lowest strikeout rate in baseball despite the lack of home runs and a chopper whose second gobble up by Nico. Don’t forget the wildard round rolls on tonight with two more games in our opening day quadruple header. Rivalry renewed and the Bronx, the Red Sox and the Yankees. Garrett Crochet, Max Freed. Is that any good? 6 Eastern on ESPN followed by the Reds and the Dodgers. Cincinnati stinking editor Terry Frank Kona and they’ll face the defending champion Dodgers who have struggled through about 800,000 injuries this year. Still won the National League West over these Padres’s three games. There’s a ground ball to short from Tatis on the first pitch. I don’t think Tatis has seen a strike. He’s chased everything. Two ground outs of shorts stop that last that first pitch he just saw change up way off the plate. He’s kind of gone more into that aggressive mode and it’s been a year for him. Look, it’s took a careerhigh walks for Tatis. He he walked 89 times this year, which is about 30 more than he had in any other season, but super aggressive so far today. And Mike Sh told us before the game, Tatis has taken the next step because he’s dominating the strike zone. He’s a little jumpy early against Boy. You get that right. I mean, first first game postseason play, everybody’s heartbeat a little bit higher than what it typically is. Well, we just saw a blue moon event, folks. Swing and miss. A Louisa Rice swing and miss. Whatever happens for the next month will not be as unlikely as that. The best whiff rate in baseball. No way he’s swinging this again, right? Oh my goodness. Matthew postseason MVP right now award always like to say if you got him and I’m telling you what Matthew Boyd is spinning that breaking ball today. Watch this. Drops down a little bit. Says see if you get Rogers. All right with Craig Counts. So what did you like about Boyd after he gave up the run? Had a runner on third less than two outs. Yeah, I mean we you know that’s a runscoring situation obviously and to keep that run off the board is a big deal. He made some pitches. who made a great defensive play. So, job well done. Talk to me about your offense. Paveta looks a little bit locked in after those first two hitters. What are you seeing? Well, it’s, you know, Nick Paveta, it’s the high fast. You know, he’s trying to clip the top of the strike zone with the fast ball and he’s doing a good job of it. Thanks, Craig. Back to you, Kevin. Jesse, thank you. Craig Councel came over from the Brewers last season. It’s only mildly ignited. The Cubs rivalry, not a big deal at all. Milwaukee wins the division for a second straight year, but the Cubs made big progress, Jess, in year two under Craig Council. Oh, just I mean, talking to him before the game, I mean, his mindset obviously is a player, as a well-known manager, but what he brings to this team and and really exuding confidence in what he’s doing. There’s a lot of analytics, but there’s also a lot of understanding the human. Craig Council, one of the best at knowing his players, how to get to them, how to get them to understand and buy into what the Cubs organization’s doing. Swanson up in the air to center field. Jackson Merrill will retrieve it. And one of the things Craig Councel talked to us about is embracing Wrigley. That’s been a big part of the messaging. He said, “Last year it really took me a full season to understand how this park plays. It is not the unpredictable part you think it is. The wind typically blows in here well more than half the time.” So you see what the Cubs did this year. The home runs were down at home. They didn’t care. 39 more steals at home. They know how to adapt to the elements. They also have the athletes to do it. They’ve got players and they’ve done a good job within this organization of finding the players. See Matt Shaw square around a bunt. They do a lot of variation of how they use speed, how they’ll use short game, how they’ll use the slug when they’re away from this ballpark or they know days that the wind is not blowing in. You can only take what the game gives you. And on days in Wrigleyfield when the wind blows in hard, you got to be able to adapt. That’s the thing. This team to me is it’s a rare combination of power and speed and the ability to beat you a lot of different ways. They can beat you with the long ball as you mentioned, Jesse. They can beat you with the slug, but also they can steal bases, man. Third most stolen bases in baseball this year. Jesse, what you got? Yeah, guys, to your point, this is the 50th game of now 82 where the wind has blown in. It has not been hitter friendly over really the last two years. You could ask Cody Bellinger that. Kyle Tucker’s probably lost four or five home runs. And uh when you add a cloudless day like today, it’s it’s a plays volatile. Both both teams talked about that yesterday. It’s not an easy place to hit or even play defense on certain days. And ironically, both starting pitchers like to elevate the fast ball. A lot of fly balls. This is the ballpark to do it. [Music] This season, Wrigley Field is one of the most pitcher friendly parks in baseball. And it’s a one- nothing game here with two really, really good bullpens ready to go. Who knows how many more? We’ll see. Two two for the rookie Shaw blows him away with a fast off the plate. One time through the order and Nick Pavetta has struck out five. I’m telling you what, the four seam fast is no joke today. I mean, look where the catcher from mean sets up right on the outside part. That’s just dotting the eye and a perfect pitch. Fifth strike out of the day for Nick Petta. And again, this is a team in the Chicago Cubs. Typically, they do not strike out very much. Only the sixth most strikeouts in baseball come in. for those five strikeouts have been on the fast ball. And the closer and closer this game gets to the fifth or the sixth with San Diego leading, that’s when the Super Bowl pin really comes into the picture. Michael Bush goes after a high heater. A little less velocity, but still effective. Took something off of that more. 92. We’ve seen him sit 95 pretty consistently at the top of the zone. That almost looked like the cutter, though. That ball had a little bit of right to left in it, but a cutter typically is at 90 miles an hour. That was at 92. Yeah, that may have been a uh pitch that slipped past the pitch tracks because how hard Pava has thrown it today. Couple of miles up from his Yeah, if you go back and look at it, had a tiny bit of right to left in it, which tells me was probably the cutter. Bush had a long fly out his first time. And BCH pops this ball up. A high heater again. Betta has been living life at the top of the zone and he’s through three scoreless innings in Wrigley Field. A one- nothing Padres’s lead in the opener. MLB Wild Card Series will continue after the team, your players, your postseason. Follow all the postseason action on the MLB app, the number one app for live baseball. Back to Wrigley Field. Kevin Brown, Jessica Mendoza, Ben McDonald up here in the booth. Jesse Rogers down below, our wonderful ESPN on ABC crew. It’s game one of the best of three wildcard series. San Diego and Chicago, the top and second wild cards in the National League. Padres’s have the lead. Jackson Merrill doubled. Xander Bogart’s doubled him in off of Matthew Boyd in the second. Those two are the next two up after Manny Machado has settled in nicely after that allowing just a couple of hits. He struck out one. He has not walked a batter in his Cubs postseason debut. Boy, the second inning was a huge inning for Matthew Boyd. One run was in, runner at third and nobody out. And he found a way to only give up one. And as a starting pitcher, especially in the ball game, it’s okay to bend a little bit. You just don’t want them to break. Stay away from the crooked numbers if you can. All right. Does have any intent on actually laying out a bun? He just messing with the pitcher. There’s no way. Well, he’s got pretty good numbers off the board for his career. He’s five for 13 coming in. Not a whole lot of damage. No homers, only one RBI. I mean, it would have been hit all day long, but that’s a win for Chicago. Will take his walk. So, the leadoff man is on for a second time for San Diego. The first walk of the game. 14 your big leager Manny Machado Padre is just 1 and9 this year in road series against eventual playoff teams. There’s a bunt laid down by Jackson Merrill. San Diego small ball is in full effect. Merryill, their franchise center fielder. Unselfish play is second sacrifice bunt of the year. Padres’s leave lead the big leagues in sacrifice buns. This has been a part of their game the entire season here in the postseason. You don’t expect it to change very much regardless of the batter that’s up. It’s about knowing who you are and what you do the best. And we talked about the Padres’s. They don’t hit many home runs. I mean 28th out of 30 teams in home runs. 18th overall in offense, but they know how to move runners. Mike, and I know that a lot of folks at home are probably cringing seeing the cleanup hitter bunt in the fourth inning, and I get it. I worked on the stack pass games. I I understand if your mind goes there. That’s just not the way San Diego plays. And Mike Schult talked about that before the game. Bogarts brows the ball just foul outside of third. Mike Shel said probably more than half of the sack bunts we lay down I don’t call his team has the freedom to execute if they feel like it’s the right time. It’s a big part of their game and honestly he put up the example of a batter and field. I mean you mentioned yeah good numbers but I think for Jackson Merrill left on left it might be his decision to be like I’d rather lay something down move the runner. HWA how to win awareness and the Padres’s have that. It’s a veteran team. They know how to win. They know what it takes to win ball games. I’m just glad it took us to the fourth for your first HWA. HWA such a big part. How do you win a ball game? And when you got the bullpen that the Padres’s have, it’s about taking a two-run lead into the fifth or sixth inning. And a lot of times you’ll see them when they’re up like they are right now. One- nothing. They’re playing for one more run right here because Robert Suarez, Mason Miller, Jeremiah Estrada, Adrien that’s as good a big four as any bullpen in baseball. So this is the regular season. Yeah, maybe you think differently. My bet would be if they didn’t have the bullpin they did, they probably don’t bun as much, right? But because they got a lock down bullpin, that’s how they play the game. Little check swing from Bogard. A charging Shaw steps in front of Swanson and does not have a play. Bogart’s moving well just back from the foot fracture as an infield single. He’s two for two and the Padres’s have the Cubs cornered. Well, Xander Bogarts, I’m telling you what, a career-high stolen bases this I know he’s had a foot injury, but 20 stolen bases. He gets out of the box when and when this ball gets by Boyd right there, it’s a foot race right there. You see Shaw coming over doing all he can do. But to answer your question, is Bogart’s healthy? The way he got down the line right here, I would say the foot’s not bothering him right now. So, first and third one away. Here’s Ryan O’Harn. Slow [Music] curve ball from Boyd for strike one. Boy, and Boyd, if you’ll watch it, man, against the lefties every now and then, he’ll drop down a little bit lower on that arm slot. It almost feels like if you’re batting left-handed, the ball’s starting at you. Show you a couple different looks and two for O’Hur. Rhino Herd, an all-star starter for the American League this year, was a bench piece for the Kansas City Royals. Toiling in obscurity, who ended up an oral, ended up a star a couple of postseason teams in Baltimore, and he is back in the postseason now after a trade to San Diego [Applause] takes a slider for ball one. Well, if you’re on the mound in these situations, man, you always think ground ball. try to create a ground ball to turn two. But then once you get two strikes where Boyd is now, he’s thinking about one thing, the strikeout. Only one strike out so far today. [Applause] Chado and Bogarts, the runners on one, two. Well, this is the lefty pack in the Padre lineup. Ryan O’Harn playing time was a little spotty when he first came to San Diego, even though they gave up a lot to get him, but he’s played a lot more down the stretch, and he has played and hit brilliantly against lefties. Something that he hadn’t done most of his career. This ball fisted to shallow center. Swanson makes the catch and throws a lob and plenty of time to the plate to hold Machado. Dansby Swanson robs Ryan O’Harn for a second time with a runner at third. Athletes, I mean, that’s what Chicago’s got so many of defensively. And to me, it’s about the drop step. Watch the drop step to create the angle to be able to get this. Look like an outfielder. A lot of infielders can’t make this drop step to catch the ball out in the grass the way Danby Swanson does this. And watch the ball tail towards the line and he reacts to stay with it. We’re going to see a whole lot of defense in this series, especially from this Cubs defense. committed to the two-time Gold Glover. Man, he is going to make the play more times than not. That’s a footwork that his wife Mallerie would be rather appreciative of. Two on, two out. Gavin Sheets high in the air to right center. Suzuki and Pro Armstrong. PCA makes the catch. Matthew Boyd once again wles out of the straight jacket. ESPN Bet is the sports book for sports fans. Right now, new customers get $100 in bonus bets when you bet $10. Sign up with code home run to get started today. Nick Pavetto with five strikeouts through three. His second career start in the postseason. He’s allowed just one base runner. Nico her hit in the first and Nico misses a sweeper. Scary thing for the Cubs lineup right now. Paveta is mowed down the order with 83% fast balls and just six breaking balls through the first three innings. Your job as a starting pitcher is to figure out what’s working best for you that day. And clearly Nick Pett has figured out that four seam fast towards the top of the zone has been money for him so far today. And as you mentioned, it is a high percentage of fast balls. Typically, he’s right around 50% fastball usage. It’s over 80% so far today. This is a Cubs team that crushes fast balls. I mean, you’re talking top three in baseball. They’re averaging and slug against. I mean, it just shows you how much that fast ball is getting the carry, not just the velocity and the swing and miss. Yeah, he’s throwing it in the perfect spot, too. He’s not made hardly any mistakes so far today. It’s been right at the top of the zone or just above the top of the zone. There’s that cutter. Mhm. Two two for her. He is the only ground ball to the day. Five strikeouts for Pavetta. The other four outs in the air. Will they go back to the heater 22? No, he lobbed up a sweeper and another ball in the air for Luis Srise to handle. Let’s take a look at Nick Paveta today and how he has attacked these Cubs hitters. One of the best offenses in baseball. But I tell you what, to this point, he’s had his way and he has shoved that four seam fast to the inside part of the plate and just above the top zone. That is top shelf right there. And again, that’s where his fast ball is going to play the best up. And sometimes he’ll throw enough fast balls up in the zone to get to that breaking ball. So they come out of the same window, you see enough heaters up, he can drop that breaking ball on you. And as a pitcher, look, you’d love to save something for the second to third time through the lineup. And he got away with a lot of fast balls early. Now you see this inning already, he’s starting to turn to the off speed stuff just a little bit more. Sweeper to a lefty, which is a pitch he almost never throws to left-handers into Ian Hap. And then another high fast ball. Holds a swing according to Todd Titner at third. So for the Cubs, how do you adjust? Second time through, they got to lay off the fast ball. It’s up out of the zone. I mean, so far we’ve seen a lot of the chase, a lot of the swing and miss come on fast balls, not just at the top of the strike zone, but up out of the zone. You bet his fast ball’s already good enough. You see it swing and miss right there. If you’re helping him out by swinging at the ones above that, you got no chance. It’s just so tough for a hitter because he’s had the ability so far today to pepper within the zone at the top and then go just above That’s exactly what he tried to do in the zone and then well above to the patient Ian Hap. Last time the Cubs were in the postseason 2020. Last time the Cubs won in the postseason 2017. Ian Hap was here both times. He has been around a long time. First round pick in 2015. Debuted in 2017. National League Allstar three years ago. two-2 side with a heater and half ticks. Great take. You’re gearing up knowing fastballs coming. We just talked about 80% of the time they know what’s coming, but you got to hold on the ones that aren’t a strike. Just the second three ball count of the day against Nick Pavum. And H knocks it to the screen right out of the glove of Fine. Not a whole lot of secrets today from is it? It’s pretty much my best against yours. See if you can catch up to it. Little old school, huh, Ben? Yeah, I like it. Feel like we we don’t have guys that throw a ton of fast balls anymore. And again, this is working with a catcher hasn’t worked with. Elias Diaz caught every one of Nick Paveta’s 31 starts. He’s not on the roster because of an oblique issue. and Freddy Ferine look like they’ve been doing it since they were kids. Seventh pitch coming a half. One- nothing Padres’s in the fourth. H strikes out. He tied him up with a right on left sweeper and Pava has punched out six. Well, what a Saturday ABC college football lineup we have for you. Starting at noon with Kentucky in 12th ranked Georgia trying to bounce back from a loss to Alabama. A top 16 matchup with Vanderbilt Hot Commodores at 3:30 in Tuscaloosa, then Miami and Florida State. Saturday Night Football in prime time. All begins at noon Eastern, 11 central, 9:00 a.m. Pacific on the ESPN app. Big win for the Tide last weekend, huh? Georgia. LSU Stanford probably also playing this weekend somewhere. How is Stanford football doing by the way? You really You really want to go there? No, I actually don’t know. I’m curious. They’re okay. They’re all right. They’re holding in there. It’s early. How serious. Would you would you like to throw some more cliches out there, Jess? Uh Syracuse. Uh they have a winning record. That pitch Mr. Tucker been called and wasn’t Tucker. Look at Pava. He’s like seriously that’s the thing about a high spin rate fast ball. It works the top of the zone. It works at the bottom of the zone because hitters expect that ball at the bottom of the knees to kind of fall below, but that ball’s got a little carry to it so it kind of stays on line. Well, also Tucker crushes fast balls down in the zone. So, in a way, Kyle Tucker’s it’s a miss on him. First year cup and offseason blockbuster deal with Houston. He will be a free agent after the year against Paveta in his first year of four with San Diego. One, two coming. Chase. Last time Nick Pavetta pitched at Wrigley. It’s his shortest start of the year. Three innings, three earned on April the 5th, which is about a half a year ago at this point. He’s been brilliant today. Is 2-2. Here’s rolled over foul. Jose Javier in the coaches box. [Music] Joined the Padres’s on the day of their first full squad workout in Peoria. It was a very late sign in the spring. Never had a season like this. It’s a San Diego rotation that’s been really battered all year. They didn’t have Joe Muskro Darvish has been up and down and hurt. Dylan Cerratic. Michael King a couple of injuries. Pavetta has been their rock. Tucker over to a rise at first plays the high hop cleanly and wins the foot race. Nick Pavetta with three consecutive one, two, three innings. He’s retired 11 straight Cubs. [Music] Two runs saved in this one. The diving play the ground ball drop taking away another hit. Both with a runner at third base would have scored a run. A lot about the Cubs defense. Danby Swanson taking away two runs already in this one. Two time Gold lover making his 160th start at short this year. Well, Ryan O’Harn’s gonna have nightmares about Dansby Swanson. He was the batter on both of those at bats. Better try somebody else. Yeah, you got a lot of other defenders out there. Katy Boyd to Jake Cronorth. One nothing game. That’s the thing about the Cubs. Pretty much everybody can play defense. A lot of different ways to measure defense with the metrics. But if you look at the old school part, fielding percentage, Cubs, fourth best fielding team in baseball, meaning they just take care of the ball. Fielding percentage fourth outs above average there fourth overall fielding run value there just behind Toronto in second part of the reason Matthew Boyd’s had such a wonderful year he gets to pitch front of this wonderful defense takes and the dirt Matthew Boyd will face Cronorth here fighting for me next and then the dreaded third time through which should be accompanied by some very eerie music in the postseason because many postseason games now you don’t even see a starting pitcher get to face a batter the third time through and the Cubs already have a little moving and shaking in their bullpen chases a breaking ball actually a change up left on left change for second strike You won’t believe where I am. T-Mobile now has the best network. How will you use it? Matthew Boyd first pitch strikes to 12 of the last 13 make it 13 of 14. Dots the inside edge to Freddy Fine. That is a recipe for success. First pitch strikes. Fine. Golfs one into left center field. That’s down for a hit out of the nine spot. Carl Armstrong is in to throw one hop dart to second. It’ll hold Fine to a single as the Padres’s have their fourth hit. Pretty good move to the baseball right there by Formine. Gets a fast ball to the first pitch and there’s a good look at that circle change. Just kind of turns it over, but Fine just kind of sinks down into his legs. finds a barrel out toward left center field. [Music] And at just 58 pitches through four and a third, that is the end of the game one start for Matthew Boyd. Greg Council is going to turn it over to the bullpen and Daniel Palencia early. Matthew Boyd throws just 58 pitches, turns over the Padres’s lineup twice, and he leaves his Cub postseason debut down one nothing. Fernando Tatis Jr. is going to face the flamethrowing Daniel Palencia, who was the Cup’s closer for much of the year. And Tatis takes his first pitch out to Suzuki. And right is 0 for three. Yeah, Valencia’s fast ball going to average 100 slider split an occasional sinker and curve ball. You see where the erra is 2.91 52 and 2/3 he has worked so far today. Opponent’s hitting just 216 off of the four seamer and just 143 off of that split. Now this is a little bit of a gamble because Valencia missed much of September with a shoulder strain. and he had 803 erra and 12 and a third before the injury. He’s only pitched twice in lower leverage spots since coming off the I will see how healthy he is and how good the command is in a one- nothing game slider strike to Luis. Yeah, but when Valencia is right, man, he can let it rip. How about that? 100 mph strikeouts on that four seamer. 27 of them, third most in baseball. You see where he likes it to be for the most part. Top of the zone. Ball out. There’s 100 right around the corner for ball one. One of the guys ahead of him is in the Padres’s bullpen. So, we’re going to see some of the biggest flamethrowing bullpen arms in this game. Mason Miller, the hardest thrower in baseball. Valencia fifth hardest. One-1 for he takes 99 wide. I know it’s a kind of the way it goes in the postseason now. Third time through, you take out the pitcher. What do you think of the decision by Craig Councel? I mean, I’m looking at Boyd’s numbers and Boyd’s numbers are not like most pitchers the third time through the lineup, right? His RA pretty good. Wise to right center field. PCA makes that play a whole lot easier than it has any right to be. Another elite jump and Valencia gets out of it. This presentation of the MLB Wildard Series will continue because it’s not hard enough to hit with the wind blowing in with parade relievers throwing a 100 about to come out of the bullpens. Oh, by the way, the shadows have now crept up over home plate and this one- nothing game. Padres’s lead the Cubs game one best of three in the wild card. Nick Petta falls behind Sey Suzuki 2 and 0. Kevin Brown, Ben McDonald, Jess Mendoza, Jesse Rogers down below in our ESPN crew. San Diego took the lead in the second and Xander Bogarts doubled in Jackson Merrill. And Pava has made it stand. He’s allowed just one base runner, a single by Nicoer, the second batter of the game. Jess, you had to hit a few times with the pitcher in the sunlight and the you standing in the batters box in the shade. Talk to most hitters, they’ll tell you that spin is just obviously hitters hit off the spin. That’s what they see. They can tell spin instantly when the ball comes out of the pitcher’s hand. Do you ever have a problem with that when it’s further out? Where it’s at right now is fine. Center. He rips it through the Wrigley wind into the brilliant sunshine and Suzuki ties the score in game one of the wildard series. [Applause] Say Suzuki had homered in his last four games in the regular season. He adds one more in the playoffs. Six home runs in four games. And he gets the fast finally more down in the zone. Petta after the pitch said he wanted that further in. The reason why Suzuki, he’s got those levers that can close to his body to get the barrel to an inside pitch. Perfect execution there. One of the few mistakes Nick Paveta has made today. And this is what the Cubs do, man. 54 more home runs this year than what they hit last year. Well, Sea Suzuki is the fourth player in major league history to homer his final four games of the regular season and then go into the postseason. The others Mike Schmidt, George Brett, and Ryan Howard. None of them homered in their first postseason game. So, welcome to Major League History. Sam away. One and two for Carson Kelly. Well, take a look, man. That was just a beautiful swing right there. 33rd long ball of the year for Suzuki. And we are all new again. Was just one for 13 against San Diego in the regular season. And you mentioned it, Jazz. Greg Councel told us before the game, if there was one hitter we needed to get going at the end of the year, this is the hitter. [Applause] Kelly with a high drive to center field. Merryill is back. Sheets at the wall and this one’s gone. The Cubs smash out of their slumber with backto back home runs in the fifth. Suzuki and Kelly put Chicago in the lead. [Applause] A postseason roar we haven’t heard in Wrigley for a long time now as Carson Kelly puts the Cubs on top. And it was against the best stuff. I mean, this is the pitch that has been getting the swing and miss that has been getting the dominance against this lineup. the fast ball up, but you now get second time through the order and the adjustments. Suzuki now Kelly, this is above the strike zone. As soon as you meet this, you greet it on out of here. Back-to- back home runs for the Cubs. The game is about making adjustments and Nick Petta dominated the Cubs through four innings with fast balls up in the zone. And now you can see the Cubs starting to make those adjustments, starting to get to the fast ball. Top shelf. Just like that, Adrien goes in the San Diego bullpen. Cubs go backto back in a postseason game for the fourth time, first since 2016. And Carson Kelly, who grew up a Cubs fan, though he was drafted by the Cardinals. Pete Armstrong a little bit wide of the tarp and foul. And we heard from Matthew Boyd earlier whose grandfather was a Chicago fan. Carson Kelly, a Chicago native and a Cubs fan, just made another Cubs fan awfully happy. [Applause] Nick Pavetta terrific for four, trailing in the fifth. PCA tries to bunt on 0 and2. Very normal stuff happening this inning. Well, he’s reading Manny Machado at third base. You look where Manny Machado is. Manny is well overplaying the short stop position. Well, you know what? Maybe it was worth a shot. He strikes out swinging. That’s the seventh for Petta. [Applause] Good for seaming fast ball again right at the top of the zone where Nick Petta has had so much success. Petro Armstrong’s been chasing that ball today at the top of the zone. Seven Ks for Pavetti. Here’s Swanson and a strike to start Danby 0 and one. 223 home runs in the regular season for the Chicago Cubs. Sixth in baseball. They go back to back here in the fifth. Suzuki who had 32. Kelly who had 17. Cubs had eight doubledigit home run hitters. Eight with 13 or more. And they are all in the lineup today. [Applause] One, two. Watson closing and prevent rebounded with backto- back punch outs. Big time pitch right there. Freddy Firm mean rocked to the outside part of the plate. Two more games to go in the wildard round. It rolls on tonight. We’re on ESPN with the Red Sox and Yankees, followed by the Reds and Dodgers. 6 Eastern, 5 Central, 3 Pacific for the first one, Reds Dodgers 3 hours after available on ESPN and also on the ESPN appro Blake Snell. Game one Reds Dodgers already have a game one winner in Cleveland. TK school struck out 14 in seven and two/3 Detroit which collapsed at the end of the season takes game one 2-1 from the Guardians. So they are one away from the American League Division series. I guess TK’s healthy 14 punch outs. It’s decent. That’ll play. Cleveland could not beat TKO for a third straight time. And that’s the American League bracket, best of three wild card series. The Mariners, who were one of the hottest teams in baseball down the stretch, await the winner of that series. And then an all AL East top half the bracket. Blue Jays won a tiebreaker with the Yankees. They’ll face the Yankees or the Red Sox one here for the rookie Shaw. Feels like that is as wide open a field as we’ve had in a long time going into the postseason. I think so. I mean, the teams are so close. We talked about this. I mean, it’s going to be who gets hot, right? What team is going to get hot in postseason play? Because all the teams I feel like that are in it have a real shot of making it to the World Series. I got you. Well, the team that I would have picked that didn’t is the Detroit Tigers. I mean, the downfall they had at the end of the year, they come out, talk about the numbers, the stats, wipe them all clean. They win game one. They could get on a roll, especially behind Scooble. [Applause] That will get out of play for Shaw. Still two and two. Might be the last batter for Pava with Morone ready to go and the third time through the order coming. Yeah, it feels like Pavven is just emptying the tank, man. at 83 pitches right now. Jerseyy’s got a little little darker shade of punch right high featuring a Raphael Nadal Grunt. Three and two for Shaw. The Wrigley faithful rises as one. A lot of times you miss 32, you come back with the exact same pitch because you got a pretty good feel for it. Nevada strikes out the final three, gets struck on the first two. The Cubs were dormant for four innings. Only one base runner until Seiya Suzuki’s Titanic line drive shot tied it. And Carson Kelly, the Chicago kid, puts the Cubs on top in the opener at Wrigley. [Music] Chicago has the lead for the first time in this game one best of three wildard series. Daniel Palencia gets the heart of the Padres’s order and Manny Machado gets 99 up and in. Machado Marilyn Bogarts Padres’s took a one- nothing lead in the second. They have stranded four. They’ve left a runner at third twice. Good luck. You going to chase that one? Good luck. How about a Hyundai up and in [Applause] Daniel Palencia who began the season in TripleA Iowa. In fact, his season debut was in San Diego against the Padres’s April 15th through a scoreless sixth inning and a 2-1 Cubs win. He’s pitching in the sixth inning with a 2-1 Cubs lead all these months later. Not only is it 99 and 100, it’s got some movement, too. Some left to right in it. And Bachado is probably wishing he was wearing a suit of armor about now. 2-2. Gets to 99. Fouls it away. Playball is baseball’s global youth initiative to highlight the fun and accessible ways to play our great game. To learn more, including how to find a league near you, go to playball.org and follow Playball on X, Facebook, and Instagram. Five straight smoke shows from Valencia 100 again. Shadow gets to it. Six straight fast balls. 99 to 100. Ben, I mean, it’s like it just takes off. You got the shadows to play with it, too. I mean, look at this look. Oh, I love take you into your living room. Try to catch up to that. And they’re all elevated, too. It’s not like it’s down in the zone. Little breaking ball. Did he go? Yes, he did. Well, after that many fast balls, it’s really hard to make adjustment on the breaking ball. I mean, it was a steady diet of 99 to 100 top shelf. And then you bend a little breaking ball. Breaking ball actually backed up a little bit. Little back door breaking ball. There’s a look at it. See it spinning, but instead of it going right to left, went a little bit left to right, but plays the same. Tax Merrell one away. Another slider right on the corner. Padre’s bullpen gets all the hype and understandably so coming into the series. They led the majors bullpen RA this year 303. But the Cubs down the stretch were just about as good. And the stuff they have now with Valencia, with Brad Keller, with Andrew Kridge, and a couple others can go toe-to-toe with anyone. Oh, two. Come on now. How about 101? [Applause] This is what I call some good oldfashioned country hard ball right here. Here’s my best. See what you can do with it. And it is a smoke show right now by Valencium. That’s all he’s got right down the gut. And he is fired up right now. And he is bringing the noise. Cubs strikeout rate fourth worst in the bullpen in the first half, fourth best in the second. Almost feels like the Padres should get to use aluminum bats right now to even it out. And he’s got the shadows. I mean, literally could not be in a worse position, too. Once it gets to that halfway point between the pitcher and home plate, that’s when it’s at its worst. Bogart’s left center field. Daniel Palencia gets five outs for just the third time this season. Feels like he can get five more for Nick Pett and how he’s done it was the fast ball just getting up in the zone swing and miss very consistent over 80% just on that fast. So what will the Cubs do in the fifth inning? We’re going to adjust first of all get the fast a little bit more down the zone and hit and oh yeah try to elevate against me again. You saw Suzuki and Carson Kelly go backto back on that same fast. Make those adjustments second time through the order. Good enough for a 2-1 Chicago lead. And Paveta turns the ball to Adrien Morah, one of the best left-handed relievers in baseball. He has been busy, too. Making his 76th appearance of the year. Sinking second fast leads away. And it’s high velocity as well. Fast ball is going to average 98. More home to show you a little slider change up and a cutter as well. This may be the only time I reference a reliever win loss record, but it is gerine to showing how many big spots Adrien Morahon pitches in. Out of the bullpen, he is 13 and6. Yeah, this guy has a trust factor like almost nobody else in baseball. And Mike Shield would have preferred giving him the ball with the lead obviously, but anytime he gives Adrien the ball, he feels good. Yeah, an allstar this year. We’ll face Bush. Corner and half. Left right switch for the Cubs. Mike with a couple of outs in the air against Nick Petta. And BCH breaks his bat on a little flare to left field that drops in front of Gavin Sheets. A little base hit for Bush in front of the deep Sheets. And the Cubs have the leadoff man on. Well, I tell you, you got to get your foot down and go 98 miles an hour. Little breaking ball to the outside part of the play. Bush a little bit out in front, but he kept his hands back and just threw the head out right off the end of the back. You could hear the back crack and just kind of dumps it out in left center field in front of Gavin Sheets. So, a good start for the Cubs here in the bottom of the sixth inning. Let me ask you guys this. If Lauriano’s healthy, is that a ball he catches in left or is a little too deep? No, I mean look, Chiefs does a nice job out in left field in my opinion. But Raone Lauriano, I think maybe a step faster in the outfield. Probably a ball that he gets to. Maybe it’s a diving catch, but it’s a ball he probably gets to. It’s also just reads. I mean, it’s about how he reads the ball being so comfortable out there and it’s it’s hard to know, but I I think that’s a ball that gets caught. Moriano out with a fractured finger for at least the wild card and they hope they can get him back at some point. They keep moving. Pointer up the middle that sticks through Bogarts. Bush will hold at second and against the often unhitable Adrien The Cubs have a couple of balls placed brilliantly for two hits. And it’s on the nonfast balls, too. I mean, that’s the biggest thing that the Cubs, you’ll also see do. This is the change up down below the zone. But for Nico, this is his game. I mean, he’s able to hit pitches out of the zone, find a way just to get enough. I mean, look at this pitch. It’s still continuing to break down below the zone. Now on a slider, then the change up. Back to back hits to start off this sixth inning. Ruben coming to the mound again. Ace has all the power you need to get the job done right with the best power brands all under one roof like Steel, Eagle, Milwaukee, and Toro with free assembly and delivery or ready for pickup in just 15 minutes. base is the place with the helpful hardware, folks. Well, Moron’s got to face at least one more batter. San Diego is going to get Mason Miller up. They’re break glass in case of emergency right-hander here in the sixth. Jess, you mentioned the Padres’s, they’re such a contact oriented team and that’s their profile. The Cubs aren’t that far off. They just got a couple of hits on 0 and2 counts against Moro. Two strike counts on good two strike pitches, too. It’s huge part of their game. And a half with a chance to extend the Cubs lead in the sixth. First and second, nobody out. Hat will swing away. Brown the change up foul. [Music] This is Chicago’s first play appearance with a runner in scoring position today. [Applause] Down to third. Machado snaps one to second. Troll to first. It’s a double play. Two enormous outs for Adrien Moro. But trying to create that ground ball was more hungry. First and second, nobody out. And a really good pitch at the bottom of the zone. And boy, you hit Manny Machado, you can forget about it there. Five to four to three. That is about as routine as it gets right there. So Kyle Tucker has a two out chance. We push at third. Tucker first pitch swinging into center field. Jackson Merrill ends a scoreless six. The fist pump from as he keeps this a one-run game on Capital One Entertainment. Visit capital1.com/entertainments. Last time Drew Pomeran’s pitched in the postseason. He was with the San Diego Padres’s 2020. Now he throws against him with a 217th inning lead. Making his 58th appearance of the year. He has been really good. Erra 2.17. Yes, he can strike you out. 49 and 2/3, 57 strikeouts, but a 4 to1 strikeout to walk ratio, which is outstanding. Not a whole lot of secrets with Pomerance. Fast ball, knuckle curve, two pitches. Fast ball right at big league average. When you talk about velocity, well, Daniel Valencia was insane. An inning in 2/3, five up, five down, two strikeouts on 17 pitches, throwing 101. And now the former Padre Pomearans gets the three lefties. O’Harn sheets and Croninworth and O’Harn puts the ball in the air to left center field. Plenty playable for Hap just has to fight the sun and down to a knee. He wins the fight. That was brutal and impressive because he lost the ball. And you guys, a lot of times you see a guy lose the ball and they’re waving around, they give up. He stays with us. Here you see him use the glove and then it’s gone. He comes back in to find it and makes the catch. He and Hap knows what he’s doing, man. He’s got the shades on the back of his hat, too. That been a good time. Three time gold glove. Is that the world’s most helpless feeling? It’s the worst. Especially when it’s that high because then it’s it’s coming out and you don’t know where it’s coming. But when you’ve done enough games and you’ve played here enough, especially day games, Strike two ripped right in there to Sheets. Sheets popped out for the runner at third, one out in the second. Flight out with the runners at first and third, two out in the fourth. Padres’s have had five opportunities to score a runner from third. Three of those with less than two outs and they did not score any of the five. Yeah, and I’ll tell you when you don’t need a base hit to score a run, you got to be big in those situations. The Cubs pitching has elevated. And what was odd, we talked about Matthew Boyd, and he was really good all year long, but with runners in scoring position, his opponent’s batting average 361, but yet he found a way to minimize damage. [Music] Rogers, which is two for seven, and one of those was an infield single that didn’t bring in a run. Runners in scoring position. Feather O2 takes one. Well, when you throw one right there as a pitcher, especially with two strikes, you start thinking, okay, is he seeing it that good or did I just fool him? She makes this one pretty well to right. Suzuki will get there. UFC 320 Saturday night. T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas is highlighted by two title fights. The light heavyweight and bantamweight belts are on the line. The prelanes begin at 8 Eastern, 5 Pacific. The main card at 10 Eastern, 9 central, 7 Pacific on pay-per-view. Go to ESPN Plus.com/pv. Seven up, seven down for the Cubs relievers. San Diego with a little taste of its own medicine as Croninorth lobs a ball into the seats. Andrew Kitridge another deadline pickup up for Chicago. It’s been Palencia and Pomearans. Now the big right-handers yet to come are Kitri and Brad Keller. This is a best of three wildard series. The ultra importance on game one. Seen a whole lot of sweeps in the wild card series. It’s this format in 2022. 10 of 12 they did in sweeps. Con to center. Lazy fly ball. Pete Car Armstrong at stretch time in Chicago. [Applause] comes by one [Applause] into the wild of the seventh inning stretch with Pearl Jams. Eddie Veter Yes. leading the crowd in an inspired rendition of take me out to the ball game. Couple of innings after Eddie’s Cubs took the lead with backto back fifth inning blast. First one came from Sea Suzuki. Yeah, Suzuki got him a heater, man. Inner part of the plate. He got those hands in tight, the barrel to it, and then right behind him, Carson Kelly. How about Tom Shelton? Blows one out of here. Cubs came down into the fifth inning, down one to nothing. Back-to-back homers, and that’s where we sit right now. Cubs up two to one. San Diego got a scoreless inning out of Adrien who stranded a runner at third. And now Mason Miller on the postseason stage for the first time against Suzuki as he buries a slider. One and one. Here’s the hardest throwing pitcher in baseball. Ben, and by the way, his best pitches is slider. That’s not fair, is it? For a guy that averages 101 with his fast ball and his best pitches slider. But he has been dominant. Look at the K rate. 44%. Big league average 22%. Three straight sliders. and he’s ahead of Suzuki one and two. We saw Mason Miller this year threw nine pitches, an immaculate inning, punched out the side on nine straight sliders. Did that September the 3rd against the Orioles and a slider there is fouled away by Suzuki. How do you deal with this Jess? You know 103 might be coming and you’ve seen slider slider slider slider. Well, and that’s the whole thing is you’re trying to be as late as possible, but knowing exactly what could come with the velocity 102, 103 mph, but it’s the slider you’re actually protecting against because that’s the best pitch. Nobody’s touched him for 20 straight appearances, Miller. And there’s the fast. That’s insane. 103. What do you do with Here’s what you do off Mason Miller. You pick one or the other. I don’t think as a hitter you can cover both 102, 103 miles an hour and a slider, too. So, you try to sit on one pitch and hope out of the three that you get or four or five maybe he makes a mistake with the pitch you’re looking for one to Carson Kelly. Let’s go back down to Jesse. Yeah, guys, I talked to a Cub the other day about the prospects of facing Mason Miller in the shadows and he gave me a one-word response. Oof. Yeah, that’s it. Just oof. and understood what he meant. Yes, sometimes it’s as simple as oof, Jesse. That’s that’s an oof swing from Kelly at 102. And it’s not just 102 or 103. It’s on the edge, too. It feels like Miller an out of nowhere prospect has become the hardest thrower in baseball. Added by AJ Prowler at the deadline. Perry is a slider. Kelly has no shot. There’s strike two. See how much he missed it by though. I mean that’s looking at heater getting slider is what that is. That’s all it is. The hitters hit 108 against the slider. And again, with the shade being around home plate, you just can’t see the spin like you’d like to. Two strikes to Kelly. Hey, have a seat. Backto back strike outs for Miller. The Padres’s punch out 11. MLB Together is baseball’s platform embodying the sports commitment to philanthropic causes and mental wellness efforts by teams players in the league. To learn more, please visit mlbto together.com. Two down for PCA by one here in the seventh. And Carmog misses 102. Mason Miller drafted in 2021 by the then Oakland Athletics who did used to play there out of Wesburg University and Gardenner Web. Not the first two choices you’d expect for a guy who throws 101. Miller, who was pitching at Wesburg in Wesburg, Pennsylvania, couldn’t figure out why he was getting so fatigued. got diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and that enabled him to make changes to his routine and ended up as this incredible flamethrower played a year in D1 at Gardenner Web. He’s took him in the third round in 2021. Padres’s paid a big price to get him at the deadline and right now they’re pretty happy they did. That’s the most unhitable stuff of the game from Mason Miller. Three straight strikeouts. I’ll tell you that’s a big time block too by Firmine who collects the out. Mason Miller doing his thing. This is what he does folks. It is a smoke show when he comes in. Oh, by the way, he can spin it too. Punches out the side. Cubs up two to one. The Padres’s and Brewers, two teams that have never won the World Series. Chicago with a two-1 lead turns to Andrew Kitridge here in the eighth inning. Valencia was outstanding. Pomear. And now the Cubs will turn to their third reliever of the of the day in the way of Andrew Kitridge making his 55th appearance of the year. Sinker slider guy. Lot of two seamers. He loves that pitch right there to the inside part of the plate. Loves to speed the bats up to get to probably his best pitch, which is that slider down on the way to right hand. The Cubs didn’t make huge moves at the deadline, but Kitri has turned out to be quite the coup. Getting him a deadline day deal or the day before for the Orioles was also the easiest travel of anybody at the deadline. The Orioles flew to Chicago for an off day. Kitri found out the night before. All he had to do was change hotels. He’s been terrific. His one two to me is popped out of play. hitters talk about the deception he’s got too and you’ll see it. It almost looks like he’s out in the backyard getting ready to play some catch. It’s kind of slow little motion and that turn that he’s got basically facing towards that third base dugout. It pops out of his glove. So you get that sinker Ben was just talking about runs into righties. It has kind of that extra life because of this deception he does with his wind up. Here’s the deliberation and a pitch popped out of play by for me. It does just kind of look like Uncle Andrew just having a catch. The fact without playing catchard the beard helps too. It’s just like want to go out back and just throw a ball around. Kitchen’s always had a slow heartbeat, man. Burries that sinker for me. Over to Matt Shaw and the lead off man retired in the eighth. Nine straight outs for the Cubs bullpen. This is the batter, Fernando Tatis Jr. It’s been a quiet bat. It’s been a quiet bat for a lot of the Padres’s hitters, but this is the guy you circle. What he did in the postseason last year, big reason why the Padres’s won the games they did, and he has got to make an adjustment in this game if they want to get back into it. His last two at bats were one pitch outs. He takes ball one. Remember Tatis last season went absolutely nuts in the postseason. He’s got six homers in 13 career playoff games. And he takes ball two. Just 26 years old. Fernando Tatis Jr. going into his own with San Diego. Mike Sh said he’s really starting to find his voice in the clubhouse. Couple of years removed from missing a full season because of injuries, a PED suspension. He’s matured since then. His game has rounded around into one of the best all-around players in the league and he takes a back door slider right to the edge for strike two. I don’t know if this clips the zone and Tatis is upset about it. It gets dropped too which adds to it but that pitch looked like it was just off the plate in well Tatis and you talked about it Jess he’s been letting that ball travel a little bit more lately as a pitcher when I see you letting that ball travel I’m working to the inside part of the plate and everything and the sliders been front so far he goes to the back drops the slider over the outside corner two down in the eighth How about he comes in the front door to get him with a slider pitch before this and then gets it away. Normally this would be a mistake pitch. Comes back with it top of the zone. Just freezes the bat of Tatis. I’m not sure that’s exactly where Kitridge wanted it. Probably wanted a little more down and away, but because he did so much work on the inside part of the plate, it works. Well, Tatis had put three consecutive pitches in play. Then he takes five straight from Kitridge and his passiveness met by Kitridge’s aggressiveness. The bullpen dominant. Elias shows button takes inside. Luis Arise finished the regular season on a 15game hit streak. He is 0 for three with a rare K. 2-1 Chicago with four outs to go. Arise, drives one into center. Carl Armstrong’s there. Andrew Kitri keeps the good times going. The Cub spotless in game one. [Applause] Nobody does Cub snakes like Wrigley. And the Cubs fans have had a lot to enjoy today. Their pitching has been magnificent. Boyd Palencia, Pomeran’s Kitridge. 2-1 lead for Chicago. Now the former Cub Jeremiah Estrada takes over in the eighth. Yeah, Estrada’s had himself a nice year. 30 holes that leads the Padres’s tied for fifth in the National League. He gives up a line drive base hit to Dansby Swanson. The sixth hit for Chicago and Swanson with his first. down here at the bottom of the order, too. This is the length that the Cubs have. Continuing to get hits and just finding that fast ball. Gets the four seam. Plops it into left field. Continue to move this order. Matt Shaw the nine hole and back up to the top. You haven’t seen a stolen base try yet today. Swanson 20 out of 23 for a Cubs team that loves to run. [Applause] Matt Shaw who does not have a sacrifice but this year squares around on ball one. W would love to pick him up a little insurance run here late in the ball game with the insurance for Brad Keller it appears with the heart of the Padre order and Bogards do up in the ninth again. Shaw squares and that’s a strike called. Haven’t seen that one called very often today. Eric Bakas a little bit expansive. Different story next year. ABS is coming. That might be a helmet tap. Little hat tapper. Shaw squares again. Pulls back ball two. Did he offer at the 10 pitch? Well, let’s take a look at it. No, I mean like a psych. Bring it back. Two on to Shaw. Butt stays on. Butt laid down. Pretty good time for Matt Shaw’s first career sack. But as a big leager, that’s so good, too, cuz Manny Machado over at third. You don’t want to b down a third base line because the way Manny Machado plays third base, he’s looking right in your face. He’ll get the out over at second base. Batshaw just punches it towards first base where Luis Arise is. Well done right there. Well, how many of these two we will see failed attempts all throughout the postseason, guys who have never done it. So, being able to execute with Hampton all season long, guys, is not easy. Great execution for Shaw. Yeah, and I tell you what the Cubs have been able to do this year, man. We talked about the home runs and the runs per game, but they hit really well with runners in scoring position. They sixth in baseball this year. Wear what the players are wearing on field during the postseason. Check out the largest selection of authentic caps, hoodies, t-shirts, and more. Visit mlbshop.com for your favorite postseason team gear. Uh, not only was that Matt Shaw’s first sacrifice punt in the big leagues, guys, the former firstrounder laid down his first sacrifice butt since he was a Maryland terrapin in college in 2021. Probably the exact same stakes for the Turpps in the Big 10, I imagine. Looks like they’re going to walk like a bush. The Cubs will set up a righty righty with Nico. That’s the first walk for Chicago today as Bush reaches base for a second time. [Applause] Now here is Nico her cup fed favorite two for three today. Now it’s a bit of a dangerous game as Estrada throws the strike facing Nico her with runners in scoring position. Only Bo Bashette of the AL East champion Blue Jays had a higher average in these spots. [Applause] With a rare swing and a miss. And another thing the Cubs have done really well in these types of situations this year, they don’t ground into many double plays. The fewest grounded in double plays out of any team in baseball this year. Only 72 times they didn’t do a double play. [Applause] Swanson and Bush the runners on 02 and the dirt gets away from me. Swanson to third, Bush to second as the Cubs read the dirt ball well for a wild pitch. Yeah, Freddy Fine had been really good today. He had blocked up a lot of balls in the dirt. This ball just kind of gets away from him. Look like a breaking ball. There’s a good look at that breaking ball, but see it’s overcooked right there. And you see how he never could square his shoulders. As a catcher, you want to be able to move quickly and be able to square your shoulders up to home plate where the ball hits your chest and lays in front. He never got turned all the way around, but that was a tough chance. Infield in one two center field. Merrill from shallow center. Swanson back to the bag at third. Merryill’s throw home off the mound. Cubs extend the lead on a sacrifice fly from her and it’s 3-1 Chicago. That’s what you call understanding the situation. You can see Nico, he wasn’t going to do a whole lot this. He knew the runner was at third base. less than two out. He just wanted to shorten his swing and just put a ball in place. See that little short swing? He just jabbed at it. That’s understanding the situation. Shoves it deep enough to push home Danby Swanson. Cubs up three to one now. Not trying to do too much. Two two strike deliveries from order today. And Mike Shield will go get Wii Peralta with the Padres’s on the ropes. Go her best batting average runners in scoring position for a reason. Takes a slider pitch one then gets the splitter swing and miss. Now this is the key right here. Once the splitter is in the dirt as it now you eliminate that pitch. Nico knows even two strikes he going to get. Goes back to the slider again. He’s got the average and the consistency because he understands three quarter swing with two strikes. He knew what he was getting. Got enough to get another run in for the Cubs. Now a 3-1 lead as Mike Schultton turns to his fourth reliever of the day, Wandy Peraltto. Two outs, Michael Bush at second and he and half batting. Yeah, Peralta 71 appearance this year. He has certainly been busy. Sinking fast ball leads the way and it’s a change up slider after that. He’ll throw you an occasional fourseamer, but he loves that two seamer. Turn around for three. want to turn half around because he has struggled a bit against lefties this year. OPS it’s 103 points lower versus left-handers. [Applause] Well, the Cubs with a couple of long balls for the first two runs and a base hit, a sack bunt, an intentional walk, a wild pitch, and a sack fly for the third. The bullpen’s been perfect. [Applause] The back half of what I just said sounds like your typical Padres’s win. But this is what the Cubs do. They have that power element in addition to the contact they make in addition to the arms they’ve developed and acquired over the year. And they are three outs away from a game one win as H knocks a change up out of play. Well, it just goes to show you how many different ways the Cubs can beat you. They can beat you with the long ball. They can beat you with the defense. We talked a lot about the Padres’s bullpen, but I tell you what, the Cubs bullpin has been outstanding to this point. It’s not like it’s a bad bullpen. I mean, look, it’s top 10 in baseball. [Applause] and strikes out. A change up by the signature pitch ends the inning. Cubs get one more part of the order for San Diego coming up. Padres’s need two. San Diego Padres’s have trailed into the ninth inning 36 times in their postseason history. They’re 0 for the first 35. And Mike Schil’s team will need at least two against Brad Keller with Manny Machado, Jackson, and Xander Bogarts, the heart of the San Diego order to up in the ninth. Takes a strike from Brad Keller who after 234 games 117 starts in nearly 800 innings in the regular season. Is making his postseason debut. Yeah, he’s had a really good year, too. 207 RA 36 and a third. He has worked. How about opponents hitting just 171 off Keller good fast ball. It’s going to average 97. Little slider and sweeper as well. A year ago, guys, Brad Keller was cut from the team with the most losses in Major League history, the Chicago White Sox. After some tweaks and a whole lot more velocity, he’s trying to close a postseason game on the north side of town. What’s Keller got? Just one save all year long. [Applause] Three saves. [Applause] Chips with a low fast ball to Machado. Has walked today and he is still alive because of that airtight pitch at the knees. A two from Keller. A little ground ball to short. Swanson’s been flawless. Cubs bullpen today. Valencia perfect through an inning in two/3. Pomearan’s perfect in the seventh. Kitridge perfect in the eighth. Fly ball to center. Jackson Merrill. Crow Armstrong in front of the Ivy for round number two. He made this look easier than it was. And we’ve talked a lot about the sun, but it’s also understanding where the ivy, the wall, everything that’s coming. This ball continues to carry off PCA. Just go back and fight that sun. I mean, he’s looking right into it. It’s the second out of the inning. 39,000 plus are ready to scream. Go Cubs go at the top of their lungs here. And we got a mess in our hands right now as Keller stepped off. The pitch clock did not reset. And then Xander Bogarts just got called for an automatic strike. How can that happen? Mike Schultz getting an explanation from Eric Bakus. Remember, a pitcher can’t step off with nobody on base unless a catch comes out for a mouth visit. You don’t have a disengagement with nobody on base. So Bogarts was confused and the six umpires will converge in front of the plate. Did Keller step off? Okay. You see Keller left. Yeah. So he steps off. When he stepped off, Bogart stepped out. Now he stepped off and it looked like he asked for a reset, but again, there is no pitch clock reset with nobody on base. So Eric Bakus never grants him the reset. Looked like he said something to Bogarts right there to get back in. [Music] After a cruise consultation, the batter will be charged a timeout, not a strike. 0. All right. Todd Titner, the crew chief, confirming that common sense still exists. Exactly. So, Bogarts is charged with his timeout. No automatic strike one. And there’s ball one. Cubs were last in the postseason in 2020 in front of no fans. [Applause] The Bogarts. Chicago was swept by the Marlins in the wildard series that year. 2018 they lost the wild card game at Wrigley to Colorado. The last Cub win of the postseason October 18th, 2017 against the Dodgers a game started by Jay Garretta. hoping to reclaim some of that magic. Jake Aretta threw out the first pitch today. Five cup pitchers of pitchlike vintage Jake Ariana 22 just got as late as you can possibly swing. I mean, this was no no. Okay. Yes. That’s what you call an emergency hack. Rear end going toward the third base dugout and just emergency hacks at it. But that’s what you have to do sometimes when you get fooled to extend extend the at bat. What you call jelly legging. Two two again. Maybe a little more solid jelly in the legs there. But Bogart’s in full parachute mode. You’ll see his seventh pitch. He’s the only Padre to drive in a run today. His RBI double in the second made it one- nothing. Been all cough since seventh pitch from Keller. Keller closes the door and the Cubs claim the opener. First Come on, man. [Applause] Four Cubs relievers allow zero Padres’s base runners. Valencia, Pomearans, Kitridge, and Keller after Matthew Boyd got the first 13 outs. And for the first time in eight years, the Chicago Cubs are postseason winners. How about the adjustments from the offense? I mean, they were getting dealt from Nick Veta and that fast ball elevated in the fifth inning. Making those adjustments, the backto-back home runs, the difference in this game. Yeah, I tell you what, it’s not very often you punch out 13 times in a ball game and you don’t get not even one base hit with a runner in scoring position and you win the ball game. That’s what the Cubs do. And I’m going to give the credit to the Cubs pitching staff. That’s what won this ball game. Matthew Boyd got himself a big jam in the second inning. One run in, runner at third base, nobody out. He held the line and then again in the fourth inning he holds the line again with one out, runners on first and third and he navigates through that one. And of course Cubs bullpin four and two/3 shutout baseball along the way. To me that was a difference in the ball game. Carson Kelly caught all those relievers, hit the gamewinning home run, and the Chicago kid is with Jesse. All right, Carson, take us back to the fifth inning. What’s that feeling like as you’re rounding the bases putting your team ahead in a playoff game? Oh man, there’s no better feeling than it. You know, Sam put a great at bat. They uh they had bat before and just getting a chance to go up there and uh you know put a good swing on a good pitch and uh pretty cool to see it go over the fence. Yeah, Nick Paveta was beating you guys at the top of the zone. You beat him in that moment. Was there an adjustment made or were you just ready to hit that high fast ball? Yeah, he was attacking with a lot of fast balls and uh you know I kept swinging underneath the guys were swinging a little bit underneath it with that carry. So you know making a little adjustment, go right to it and uh you know put a good swing on it. It was about that time that Craig Council brought in Daniel Palencia. What’s it like catching him at 100 with the shadows coming over home plate and you’re playing hockey goalie half the time, you know, but uh you know, our guys did a tremendous job. We played great defense. Uh that bull came in and locked it down and uh you know, it feels really good to have this win. First home win in a long time for a cup team at Wrigleyfield. What’s the feeling like and the vibe? I mean, right now you see it’s still going. you know, it’s pretty awesome, pretty special to play here and uh you know, the support that they give us and you know, let’s do it again tomorrow. Congrats, Carson. Thank you. Back to you, Kevin. Jesse, that is a feeling I imagine Carson Kelly’s been wanting to save for a long, long time. His postseason debut, the team he grew up rooting for. And he puts them ahead one- nothing in the best of three wild card series. The Cubs can’t close it out tomorrow, 3 Eastern, 2 Central here on ABC. Let’s go back down to Jesse. All right, have Nico her here. Big insurance run in that eighth inning. Once you get down two strikes, what’s your strategy at that point? Yeah, it was huge. The runner was able to get to third, less than two outs, be able to put something in the air there. I felt great to give us some insurance playing behind Boyd early on. He made one little mistake to Bogarts, but other than that, looked pretty good. What was it like from second base? Yeah, he looked great. He’s had such an incredible year and those plays Dan’s been made to keep us in that game were were really huge for the momentum of this game and just a really nice all-around win. As you take the field and then come off the field in the ninth inning describe the feeling as a baseball player at Wrigley in a post game. Yeah, we’re very spoiled here. It’s no secret these are incredible fans. So, we’ve been here for a little while now and to be able to playoff baseball in front of them is an incredible feeling. So, hopefully we got a lot more. And it’s so incredible that tomorrow’s an elimination game. You guys can wrap up the series that quickly. Yeah, one day at a time. I know this wild card series is really fast. So, uh, have a good sleep tonight and back at it. Thanks, Nico. Yeah, of course. Thank you. Back to Kevin. Jesse, thank you. Yeah, the Padres’s will turn to Dylan Cease. He’ll need to pitch well in all likelihood to save San Diego season and get a game three Cup starter to be determined. A brilliant day to start game one of the wildard series. The Padres’s scored first, the Cubs scored last. Chicago wins it 3-1 in game one for Jessica Mendoza Ben McDonald Jesse Rogers our outstanding crew of Kevin Brown so long from Ripley Field let’s get you to Kevin Connor in the studio bless you double pro I’m [Music] love you give to me sweet [Music] pass. I swear to God now she do come. Give me love again. Give me love again. If you give me love again, I will never go. I be comforting. Give me love again. Give me love again. If you don’t give me the make comfort. [Music] [Music] Yeah. [Music] Yeah. So she beautiful. Any time I see her face you I could tell now because of you my call me big man. See the way she’s up to you. She be like I’m 40. Give me love again. Give me love again. If you give me love again, I will never give you comfort. Give me love again. Give me love again. If you don’t give me love again, you make me comfort. Comfort [Music] my comfort. [Music] Yeah, for my [Music] double [Music] bless [Music] I see you. I’m [Music] [Music] My mother [Music] [Music] My store you sh my Yeah. [Music] Heat. [Music] for another concrete. [Music] I can sh [Music] I’m something you sh [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] I was staying [Music] right on [Music] Such [Music] scale too much. [Music] Sam. [Music]

September 30, 2025
MLB – Wild Card – Final
Chicago Cubs vs San Diego Padres Full Game
MLB Full Game