In a nail-biting finish at Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs held off the San Diego Padres 3-1 in Game 3 on Thursday, clinching their first postseason series victory since 2017 and punching a ticket to the NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers. The decisive matchup capped a rollercoaster best-of-three series that saw the teams split the first two games, with the Cubs taking the opener 3-1 before the Padres evened it up 3-0 behind strong pitching from Dylan Cease and a timely sacrifice fly from Jackson Merrill.
Jameson Taillon set the tone for Chicago, delivering four scoreless innings to quiet the potent Padres lineup that had terrorized opponents all season. But the real drama unfolded late. The Cubs' bullpen, retooled over the summer, bent but didn't break, navigating traffic on the bases with standout defense from shortstop Dansby Swanson, whose glove work proved crucial across the series. Michael Busch provided the offensive spark with a home run, while Pete Crow-Armstrong's RBI single in the second inning helped build an early lead that Chicago clung to desperately.
However, the ninth inning tested every nerve. Brad Keller, pitching his second frame, surrendered a leadoff homer to Merrill, trimming the deficit to two runs, and then hit back-to-back batters after a generous strikeout call on Xander Bogaerts. Andrew Kittredge stepped in to slam the door, inducing a grounder and a fly out amid a roaring crowd. Indeed, it was that kind of night—tense, error-prone at times, and ultimately rewarding for the home team. The Padres, chasing their first World Series crown, exit with heads held high but questions about their clutch hitting in October lingering.
The Cubs, meanwhile, ride momentum into a tough Brewers matchup, where familiar rivals await. And yet, as the leaves turn in Chicago, one can't help but wonder if this playoff run signals a deeper resurgence for a franchise long starved for success.