Boyd Named Cubs Game 1 Starter Against Padres in Wild Card Series

The Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres will face off in the National League wild card series at Wrigley Field, with all games hosted by the Cubs. For Game 1, the Cubs have named veteran lefty Matthew Boyd as their starter, who is pitching in his first postseason series as a Cubs player and expressed emotional significance due to his grandfather's fandom. Boyd boasts a 3.21 ERA and 14 wins in 2025, while Padres' right-hander Nick Pivetta, who will counter in Game 1, has had a career-best season with a 2.87 ERA and 190 strikeouts. The Padres have also announced their full starting rotation, which includes former Cubs prospect Dylan Cease for Game 2 and veteran Yu Darvish if a Game 3 is needed. Cease, despite a down 2025 season with a 4.55 ERA, still leads MLB in strikeouts per nine innings, while Darvish returned from injury with mixed results. This series marks a highly competitive match-up with both teams fielding pitchers who have shown strong individual performances throughout the season.