The Rundown: Welcome to Postseason Baseball, Boyd Gets Game 1 Call, PCA on Mission, Rosters Finalized
“Well I’m not the kind to live in the past; the years run too short and the days too fast. The things you lean on are the things that don’t last.” – Time Passages by Al Stewart
Playoff baseball is here and the autumnal truncation of this column begins. Same great content, fewer words. Or, to steal a famous low-calorie lager marketing campaign: Tastes great, less filling. All that is missing is managers Billy Martin and Dick Williams, baseball legend Bob Uecker, and of course, comedian Rodney Dangerfield.
Today’s a great day to watch baseball, too. The opening of the postseason feels a lot like Opening Day, just with a lot more at stake. If hope springs eternal, then autumn paints its path to the World Series. There are few things better than October sunsets, bonfires, a full moon, a warm apple crisp, a cold craft beer, and playoff baseball. How fortuitous for fans of teams that can still cheer on their local heroes during the dwindling days of the 2026 season. That includes Cubs fans, ripe with anticipation as baseball embarks on its annual tournament of champions.
The Cubs are in San Diego to play the Padres with a budding history to boot. Chicago eliminated the Friars in three action-packed Wrigley Field games at this time last year. They followed that up by taking five of six from San Diego during the 2026 season, scoring 55 runs in the process. A repeat performance of their regular season success will virtually guarantee a rematch with the Brewers in the NLDS. The Cubs have a score to settle with Milwaukee, but must take care of matters at hand first.
Matthew Boyd will get the call for Game 1, and he’ll face Michael King. The sample size is small, but teams that win the first game of the Wild Card round in its present format win the series 88% of the time. The most recent exception was the Yankees bouncing back to take out the Red Sox last year. Gotta get that first win, and Boyd is an excellent choice. The 35-year-old lefty took a no-decision in 2025’s Game 1 against San Diego, holding the Padres to one run on four hits. I take great comfort in this matchup, and you should, too.
Another pillar of hope is the success that Alex Bregman has had against King. As I mentioned yesterday, Bregman is 7-for-8 with two walks when facing San Diego’s Game 1 starter. If Pete Crow-Armstrong gets on base in the 1st inning, a good chance exists that Bregman will get him home. Jumping to an early lead will help Chicago’s chances of winning tonight’s game, too. Teams that score the first run in any Wild Card game are 18-2 in the current format. The Padres are legitimately gifting the Cubs a real opportunity to grab the necessary momentum to win a road series. Craig Counsell and his troops must therefore take advantage of the generosity of San Diego manager Craig Stammen.
Chicago ended its regular season in hectic fashion, getting to San Diego by way of Boston and Tampa Bay, but that frenzied 48-hour journey has been replaced by the calm confidence of playing postseason baseball. Counsell and the Cubs will be ready.
If you do one thing before watching tonight’s game, please read “The Green Fields of the Mind” by former commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti, et al. Nobody wants that feeling of summer to end, even if it means enduring overcast 40-degree nights in late October. That’s why we have blankets, fireplaces, bourbon, and beer. Light a fire and watch some baseball. Is there anything better?
Cubs/Padres News & Notes
- Our own Sean Holland previews the Cubs-Padres matchup as only he can.
- Keeping things here at home, Evan Altman has five questions he’d like to see the Cubs answer in the Wild Card round.
- Boyd is approaching tonight’s game with the demeanor you’d want from a Game 1 starter who has been here before.
- It’s that time of year, of course, when Counsell designates his starters and relievers simply as “out-getters.”
- Crow-Armstrong and Bregman are undoubtedly keys to the series, but the success or failure of the bullpen may determine whether the Cubs advance or go home.
- PCA had a breakout campaign but struggled mightily in last year’s playoffs. He’s hoping to rewrite that legacy starting today.
- The center fielder was mired in an early-season slump until he faced San Diego at Petco Park in late April. That series changed the trajectory of Crow-Armstrong’s season.
- The Padres haven’t been to the World Series since 1998, but believe that streak will end this year. They’re 0-2 in the Fall Classic, losing to the Tigers in 1984 and the Yankees in ’98.
- Last year, the Padres had three left-handed hitters in a row — Ryan O’Hearn, Gavin Sheets and Jake Cronenworth — in all three playoff games and Counsell attacked that pocket of the lineup relentlessly with his southpaws. Stammen said he’ll be more flexible this year. For those keeping track at home, Counsell used relievers to cover 14.2 of the 27 innings in last year’s series.
- Defense will be the reason that the Cubs advance to the NLDS and beyond. The Padres will live or die with their bullpen.
- San Diego rookie Ethan Salas could become the youngest catcher in MLB payoff history.
- Josiah Hartshorn earned honorable mention in MLB Pipeline’s Prospect Team of the Year.
Ball Four
Yeah…it’s like that.
Waking up to everyone on the Planet picking the Padres pic.twitter.com/7RTTb4XKsw
— Joey Christopoulos (@JoeySportsGuy) September 29, 2026
How About That!
Justin Verlander is quickly making the change from big league pitcher to stay-at-home dad.
The 2026 Baseball America All-Rookie team includes Cubs nemeses Sal Stewart (Reds), JJ Wetherholt (Cardinals), and Logan Henderson (Brewers).
Carter Jensen and Elly De La Cruz were named the AL and NL Players of the Month for September. Freddy Peralta and Jared Jones were honored among starting pitchers. I still believe Peralta will be with the Cubs in 2027 and September was a great audition for the former Brewers hurler.
Playoff News & Notes
Playoff rosters have been announced, and here’s how each was built.
Umpiring crews for each first-round series were also announced.
Here’s everything you need to know about each of the matchups.
MLB wants a salary cap for competitive balance, but this year’s playoffs provide an example of the type of parity the league is seeking…without a cap. Expect a lot of pro-league and anti-labor buzz in postseason telecasts.
Aaron Judge was omitted from the Yankees’ Wild Card roster.
Five existing teams have never won the World Series, and three of them (Padres, Brewers, and Rays) made the playoffs this year.
Extra Innings
More hype and more hope. Here’s to more baseball at Wrigley Field this fall.
Summer's not over. pic.twitter.com/CcUwQE8Irf
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 29, 2026
They Said It
- “I think I’ve got some more to prove and I’ve got some more production to give this club, but [the playoffs are] a new [season]. I’m fortunate and lucky to have a year of this under my belt already.” – Crow-Armstrong
Tuesday Walk-Up Song
It takes 13 wins to win the World Series. Let’s start that countdown this evening.
