The Padres made MLB history by holding the Cubs to one run across their NL Wild Card sweep, shutting down baseball’s highest-scoring offense.
The San Diego Padres scripted an MLB history Wednesday night while completing a dominant sweep of the Chicago Cubs in the NL Wild Card Series.
San Diego held the highest-scoring team in MLB during the regular season to just one run across the two-game postseason series. The Padres capped the sweep with a 4-1 victory at Petco Park, advancing to the NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Cubs had averaged 5.3 runs per game during the regular season, but San Diego’s pitching staff completely shut down their offense when it mattered most. Six Padres pitchers combined to allow only one run and five hits over nine innings in Game 2.
The Padres opened the scoring in the second inning, with 20-year-old catcher Ethan Salas bringing home a run on a sacrifice fly. It was also a historic night for Salas as he became the youngest player to catch in a major league postseason game.
San Diego added to its advantage in the fourth when Gavin Sheets delivered a two-run home run as a pinch hitter. That pushed the Padres’ lead to 4-1 and gave the pitching staff enough room to close out the series.
The performance followed an even more impressive showing in Game 1. Michael King carried a no-hit bid into the seventh inning and struck out eight batters as the Padres cruised to an 8-0 victory.
Fernando Tatis Jr. opened the scoring with a home run on the first pitch he saw, while Manny Machado later added another long ball. Joe Musgrove also made his return to the mound after nearly two years away.
San Diego entered the series after winning eight of its final 10 regular-season games and finishing with a 91-71 record. The Padres also went 51-30 at home during the regular season.
The San Diego Padres scripted an MLB history Wednesday night while completing a dominant sweep of the Chicago Cubs in the NL Wild Card Series. San Diego held the highest-scoring team in MLB during the regular season to just one run across the two-game postseason series. The Padres capped the sweep with a 4-1 victory at Petco Park, advancing to the NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers.