Padres will hit road for wild-card series, facing Cubs
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The NL Wild Card Series on Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 3:08 p.m. ET will see the Chicago Cubs host the San Diego Padres live from Wrigley Field, and airing on ABC. Tickets for Game 1 of the Cubs vs. Padres playoff series are still available on StubHub.
When Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd takes the Wrigley Field mound in Game 1 of the wild-card series, he’ll know what to do with the extra nerves and excitement that come with playoff stakes. “It’s all energy,” Boyd said in a recent conversation with the Sun-Times. “You just acknowledge it for what it is, and you feed off it.”
Preview the Sept. 30 NL Wild Card Game 1 matchup between the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres with odds over/under, game spread, betting lines and more.
For the first time since 1984, somehow, the Cubs and Padres are set to square off in the National League playoffs. It hasn't been quite that long since they've seen each other this season, but it might feel like it;
Manny Machado hit an RBI single during the five-run first inning and homered leading off the third for the San Diego Padres, who got a final tune-up for the postseason by routing the Arizona Diamondbacks 12-4 for a three-game sweep.
This series looks like a tossup. Though the Cubs’ offense had the better season, showing more consistency, power and depth, the Padres have advantages, too. Their bullpen gets a strong edge. Ace Nick Pivetta had the best season of any starting pitcher on either team.