Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (9/30/25): Cubs 3, Padres 1 – Power, Pen Lead to Game 1 Win
The Cubs opened up their Wild Card series against the Padres on a beautiful Tuesday afternoon at Wrigley Field and runs were hard to come by. The deciding factor turned out to be back-to-back solo home runs that propelled Chicago to a victory and the series lead.
San Diego struck the first blow against starter Matthew Boyd in the top of the 2nd on back-to-back doubles by Jackson Merrill and Xander Bogaerts. Bogaerts advanced to third on a throwing error by Pete Crow-Armstrong with nobody out, but Boyd retired the next three hitters to keep it 1-0.
The North Siders could do absolutely nothing against Padres starter Nick Pivetta early with just a single hit through the opening four frames. The road team got runners to third base two more times against Boyd and failed to score each time.
The Cubs turned the game around with two swings against Pivetta in the bottom of the 5th inning. Seiya Suzuki carried over his success from the end of the season, connecting on a low fastball for a game-tying solo home run to left. Catcher Carson Kelly followed and clubbed his own homer to left to put Chicago in front 2-1.
Craig Counsell turned the game over to the bullpen in the 5th inning and they did an incredible job. Their relievers did not allow a single San Diego baserunner for the rest of the game, securing a win that felt easier than it was.
Nico Hoerner gave the Cubs an insurance run in the bottom of the 8th with a sacrifice fly against Jeremiah Estrada to make it 3-1. Brad Keller entered in the 9th to secure the save and give Chicago a huge victory. (Box score)
Key Moment
The Cubs offense was doing nothing before the two home runs in the 5th inning. It demonstrates just how important power is in the playoffs.
Why the Cubs Won
The bullpen was perfect and protected a very small lead beautifully.
Stats That Matter
- Boyd did a very good job escaping jams in his outing: 4.1 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 2 K, 1 BB.
- Hoerner had two singles to go with the sacrifice fly.
- Suzuki has now homered in five consecutive games.
Bottom Line
It was an incredible atmosphere at Wrigley Field Tuesday and the Cubs did an outstanding job of executing and avoiding mistakes. Playoff baseball is often decided by the bullpen, and Chicago got terrific work from that unit. They now have two chances to win and advance to the NLDS, but it won’t be easy. They have put themselves in a good position, so let’s see if they can close it out.
On Deck
Game two of the series starts Wednesday at 2:08pm CT. The Cubs are going with opener Andrew Kittredge against Dylan Cease in a contest televised exclusively on ABC with a radio feed on 670 The Score.
