Cubs Beat Padres, Advance to NLDS

Tarik Skubal struck out 14 batters in a 2–1 Detroit win in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series, and Cleveland evened the series with a 6–1 Game 2 to force a winner-take-all Game 3, with the victor advancing to face the Seattle Mariners in the ALDS. The Chicago Cubs defeated the San Diego Padres 3–1 in Game 3 at Wrigley Field to win the NL wild-card series and advance to the NL Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers; Game 1 is set for Saturday in Milwaukee. Michael Busch hit a leadoff seventh-inning solo homer, Pete Crow-Armstrong had three hits including an RBI single, and Dansby Swanson delivered a bases-loaded walk and several key defensive plays. Jameson Taillon gave four shutout innings, Daniel Palencia and a group of relievers closed out the game, and Andrew Kittredge recorded the save after Brad Keller allowed a Jackson Merrill homer and hit two batters in the ninth. The win is the Cubs’ first postseason series victory since 2017, and it sets up Craig Counsell — the Cubs manager and a longtime former Brewers skipper — to face his former team in the NLDS.