AP Photo/Gregory Bull

The Rundown: Padres Drub Cubs in Blowout, Gausman Going Tonight, Game 1 Losers Facing Elimination

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterSeptember 30, 2026

“When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck sayin’, ‘Fellas, it’s too rough to feed ya.’ At 7 PM, a main hatchway caved in, he said, ‘Fellas, it’s been good to know ya!'” – The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot

Four teams are facing elimination today in the speed round of the 2026 MLB playoffs, and though nobody wants to see an abrupt ending to the season, the Cubs are playing like the Padres left them for dead. It was excruciating to hear last night’s announcers constantly pointing out that Chicago has the best offense in baseball while said offense managed just three singles off of Michael King, Yuki Matsui, and Joe Musgrove in an 8-0 loss. The Cubs looked defeated when Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman started the game by striking out. They flatlined when Fernando Tatís Jr. and Manny Machado homered in the bottom of the frame.

San Diego essentially put a black hole into the heart of an offense that dragged one of the worst pitching staffs in baseball to 89 wins. Last night’s loss was akin to the heavy flooding that lowered the bow of the Edmund Fitzgerald preceding its plunge to the bottom of Lake Superior. Chicago’s fans were the first to jump ship, and rightfully so. Game 1 of this series was an unmitigated disaster, plain and simple, and though there’s still time to right the ship before it sinks, a resurrection will not come without its challenges.

The worst part about being completely shut down by the Padres so quickly is that San Diego basically saved its best relievers for Game 2, and, if necessary, Game 3. The Cubs, meanwhile, will approach tonight’s game with an all-hands-on-deck mentality because tomorrow is no longer guaranteed. Chicago looked gassed from the start, and you can expect the Padres to go for the jugular immediately. The Cubs must jump out to a quick lead — the bigger the better — or this season will be in the books by midnight tonight.

Pitchers and catchers report in 131 days, barring a work stoppage, of course.

Stats That Matter

  • The Cubs lost their ability to host this series by going 11-13 in the final month, while the Padres went 18-6. Game 1 was a clear continuation of those trajectories.
  • The “best offense in baseball” hit .242/.329/.724 after September 1.
  • Chicago is 2-for-63 with runners in scoring position over their last seven games. That’s not a typo, I assure you.
  • Only the A’s (247) allowed more home runs this season than the Cubs (231).
  • The Cubs ranked third out of MLB’s 30 teams in OPS against right-handed pitchers. They’ll face righty Nick Pivetta tonight.

Cubs/Padres News & Notes

Ball Four

Thank God the Cubs didn’t drop ass at Wrigley Field like they did last night at Petco Park.

Playoff News & Notes

The White Sox got a letter of inspiration from Pope Leo XIV before yesterday’s tilt with the Astros.

Grant Taylor tossed a career-high 54 pitches to close out Chicago’s 6-3 win over the Astros.

In a bit of disturbing irony, the Red Sox, who basically had the same travel schedule as the Cubs, lost their playoff opener 9-0 to the Yankees.

Ben Rice had a career night for New York with two home runs, including a grand slam. He plated six runners in the win.

A clutch home run by Austin Riley lifted the Braves to a comeback victory over the Phillies.

The Brewers announced that Jacob Misiorowski will start Game 1 of the NLDS in Milwaukee. Logan Henderson will follow Misiorowski in Game 2.

Christian Yelich will wear the captain’s “C” during Milwaukee’s playoff run. He is the first player in team history to be bestowed that honor.

How About That!

ESPN’s Buster Olney believes it would be unjust if L.A. sportswriters voted Shohei Ohtani No. 1 over PCA just to prevent a unanimous vote.

MLB attendance was up for the fourth straight season, buoyed mostly by the Rays’ return to the Trop.

The Yankees and Nationals are well-positioned to speed up their rebuilds this winter.

Giants’ GM Buster Posey gave an offseason vote of confidence to manager Tony Vitello.

Eight of the 12 teams that made the postseason ranked in the top 10 in payroll, a topic that will surely be discussed in CBA negotiations.

Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodón said the players will not budge in negotiations, even if it means the entire 2027 season is canceled.

Kate Upton said she is never watching a baseball game again now that husband Justin Verlander has retired.

Apropos of Nothing

I watched all of the playoff games yesterday and was floored that the White Sox looked more “been there, done that” than the Cubs. The North Siders were as tight as a wet boot in a muddy field while their South Side counterparts played like it was the middle of May instead of the end of September.

Extra Innings

I believe that children are the future…

They Said It

  • “They just did everything right and we did everything wrong.” – Dansby Swanson
  • “It’s pretty simple. The beauty of this time of year is each win or loss just counts as one, anyways. It’s not like run differential, pool play. There’s none of those things. You show up tomorrow and compete and lay it out there. This group is very used to adversity and hard things and going through it, so this isn’t like uncharted territory. This is an opportunity for us to show up and show out.” – Swanson
  • “You flush it. You’ve got to, this time of year. I got all the confidence in the world that this group can bounce back.” – Bregman
  • “They had a lot to cheer about tonight. And we didn’t give them anything to be quiet about.” – Craig Counsell
  • “This one leaves a little sour taste in your mouth. But I have this saying: ‘We shower well.’ Once you go take a shower, it’s over, and you move to the next day. That’s what we’re going to do.” – Carson Kelly

Wednesday Walk-Up Song

Do or die.

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterSeptember 30, 2026
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