In a nail-biting finish at Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs scraped out a 3-1 victory over the San Diego Padres in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series on Thursday night. The win sends Chicago onward to face the Milwaukee Brewers in the Division Series, while the Padres' promising season comes to a frustrating halt. Indeed, the Cubs' bullpen, often a point of concern during the regular year, proved rock-solid once more, stifling San Diego's potent lineup after starter Jameson Taillon delivered four scoreless innings.
The game unfolded slowly at first, with Taillon settling in after a shaky start. Chicago jumped ahead in the second when Michael Busch crushed a solo home run, his blast echoing through the ivy-covered walls. Pete Crow-Armstrong added an RBI single later in the frame, padding the lead to 2-0. But the Padres, no strangers to comebacks, clawed back just a bit in the ninth. Jackson Merrill's leadoff homer trimmed the deficit, and suddenly Wrigley held its breath as back-to-back walks loaded the bases. However, reliever Andrew Kittredge induced a groundout and a fly ball to escape the jam unscathed.
San Diego's offense, which had exploded for three runs in their Game 2 shutout win, managed only scattered hits against Chicago's pitching staff. Dylan Cease had given the Padres a strong outing in the series opener loss, but Thursday's starter couldn't match that fire. Moreover, defensive gems from Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson— including a crucial catch in Game 1—continued to haunt San Diego. The Padres stranded runners repeatedly, their bats going quiet at the worst moments. It was a series defined by fine margins, with Chicago capitalizing on just enough opportunities.
For the Cubs, this marks their first postseason series win since 2017, a drought that felt endless to North Side faithful. The Padres, chasing that elusive World Series crown, leave with heads high but questions lingering about clutch play. And yet, as the playoffs grind on, one can't help but wonder how far this resilient Cubs squad might go.