Cubs score 3-1 vs Padres: Wild Card Game 1 recap and takeaways

The Cubs won 3-1 over the Padres in NL Wild Card Game 1 at Wrigley Field. The cubs score came from two home runs that flipped the game in the middle innings. San Diego wasted early chances with a runner on third and less than two outs.

This result puts the Padres on the brink in a best-of-three series. Chicago used power and a clean bullpen run to close it out. San Diego again struggled to cash in runners in scoring position.

Key details on the cubs score and game flow

San Diego led 1-0 after back-to-back doubles by Jackson Merrill and Xander Bogaerts to open the second. Bogaerts reached third on an errant throw but was stranded after three straight infield outs. That sequence set a tone the Padres could not shake.

Starter Nick Pivetta cruised through four innings and had retired 11 straight. The game turned with two swings. Seiya Suzuki crushed a 2-2 fastball for a 424-foot solo shot to tie it 1-1. Carson Kelly followed in the sixth with a first-row homer to left on a 2-2 fastball at the top of the zone. The cubs score became 2-1 and the Wrigley crowd never quieted.

Adrian Morejón entered in the sixth and allowed two quick singles, then escaped with a double-play ball and a flyout. Mason Miller fanned the side in the seventh. Jeremiah Estrada gave up an insurance run in the eighth on a single, a bunt, an intentional walk, a wild pitch, and a sac fly. San Diego finished 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and never advanced a runner past first after the fourth.

Chicago’s bullpen stacked zeros. Daniel Palencia handled the sixth after getting flyouts from Fernando Tatis Jr. and Luis Arraez. Former Padre Drew Pomeranz needed only 11 pitches for a spotless seventh. Andrew Kittredge worked the eighth. Brad Keller closed a perfect ninth. It was power plus run prevention, and it held up.

The loss tracked with a 2025 pattern for San Diego. Missed situational chances and opponent power swings proved decisive. The cubs score reflected that script again.

What this result means

The Cubs need one more win to advance. Their path is clear: ride timely homers and a deep bullpen on back-to-back days. The lineup showed thunder even with the wind pushing to left-center.

The Padres must flip the situational hitting story fast. They generated traffic early but could not score a second run. That put heavy pressure on Pivetta, who paid for two elevated heaters.

Short-term, San Diego faces elimination with limited margin for error. Long-term, this is another data point on the value of balls in play with a man on third and fewer than two outs. The series now tilts toward Chicago, which managed leverage innings with poise and power.

The cubs score line says it all: 3-1 on two homers and a bullpen lock-down. San Diego needs contact and conversion in Game 2. Chicago will try to repeat the same winning formula at Wrigley.

FYI (keeping you in the loop)-

Q1: What was the final cubs score in Game 1?

The final was Cubs 3, Padres 1. Chicago leads the best-of-three series 1-0.

Q2: Who hit home runs for the Cubs?

Seiya Suzuki tied it with a solo shot. Carson Kelly followed with the go-ahead homer.

Q3: Why did the Padres lose despite an early lead?

They went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. They also allowed two solo homers that flipped the game.

Q4: How did the Cubs finish the game?

The bullpen stacked scoreless frames. Palencia, Pomeranz, Kittredge, and Keller closed it cleanly.

Q5: What must San Diego change for Game 2?

Convert opportunities with a runner on third and fewer than two outs. Keep fastballs out of power zones.