Cubs vs Padres MLB Wild Card Game Highlights

October 1, 2026

Cubs vs Padres: Who Won the Game and What Happened? (Full Recap)

Quick Answer The San Diego Padres beat the Chicago Cubs 4-1 on Wednesday, 30 September 2026, at Petco Park. The win completed a two-game sweep of the NL Wild Card Series, ending the Cubs’ season and sending the Padres through to the NL Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers.

If you have searched “Cubs vs Padres” to find who won the game, let you know that the Padres were just dominant in every way. Here, we will show you how exactly that happened. What happened in this game and what will happen in their next matchups. No complicated words, just the facts

The Final Score: Padres Sweep the Series

San Diego beat Chicago in both games of their best-of-three NL Wild Card Series. Game 1 wasn’t close — the Padres won 8-0. Game 2 was tighter for a while, but San Diego still came out on top, 4-1. Two wins, zero losses, and the series was over.

Game	Cubs	Padres
Game 1 (Sept 29)	0	8
Game 2 (Sept 30)	1	4
Series Result	0 wins	2 wins (sweep)

Game 1: Padres Blow the Doors Off, 8-0

The game started with a statement. Fernando Tatis Jr. smashed a leadoff home run on the first pitch of the contest, which marked the first time any player has done that in Padres postseason history. From there, pitcher Michael King took over, carrying a no-hit bid into the seventh inning, and giving up just one hit in seven innings of work. The Cubs never found their footing, as San Diego powered to an 8-0 win.

Game 2: A Closer Game, Same Result

Game 2 looked headed to a different outcome. Padres starter Nick Pivetta got off to a good start, retiring the first six Cubs batters he faced in order. San Diego struck first in the bottom of the second inning, with three straight hits from Ty France, Jackson Merrill and Xander Bogaerts to take the lead.

The Cubs answered in the top of the fourth inning. Seiya Suzuki singled, Ian Happ walked, and Nico Hoerner drove in Suzuki with a single to center field, cutting the gap and chasing Pivetta from the game. That brought in reliever Bradgley Rodriguez, who struck out the next batter and got out of the inning despite hitting a batter to load the bases.

The Moment That Decided It

While the Cubbies led 2-0 through the top of the 4th, San Diego fought right back in the bottom half of the inning. Bogaerts doubled and then following a strikeout, pinch hitter Gavin Sheets jumped on a 101mph fastball and sent it 394 feet into the right field bleachers, clearing the fence to make it a 4-1 game. Sheets was a two-run homer. That would be all the offense the Cubs needed as the Padres bullpen closed the door on Chicago with Rodriguez, Jason Adam, Adrian Morejon and closer Mason Miller combining for a one hit shutout in the win. Miller struck out the final two hitters in order in the 9th to end the season for the Cubs.

Why This Game Mattered

It was no ordinary tie, but the win-or-go-home Wild Card series. The losing team’s season was over, but there was also a revenge factor because the Padres were eliminated by the Cubs in a three-game Wild Card series at Wrigley Field last year. San Diego avenged the loss, putting an end to the rivals’ misery in a two-game series.

Ethan Salas also made his debut during this series and became the youngest player in the history of Major League Baseball to catch a postseason game. A Padres rookie has another chance to make it in the post-season.

What Happens Next

The Padres face the Milwaukee Brewers, who finished with the best regular-season record in the National League, in the NL Division Series. San Diego has had recent success against Milwaukee, winning four of six meetings this season, including a three-game series sweep at home in August. It’s curtains for the Cubs as they turn their sights to the offseason.