Nick Pivetta gets another crack at the Cubs on Wednesday, and this time the Padres can finish the job with him on the mound.
That’s the part of this matchup that makes Game 2 feel loaded. One year ago, Pivetta turned in a sharp postseason start against Chicago in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series, striking out nine without walking a batter and allowing only three hits over five innings. But two of those hits left the yard on back-to-back pitches, with Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly going deep to flip the night into a 3-1 Padres loss.
San Diego never recovered from that series. Chicago eliminated the Padres two days later, and Pivetta was left holding the short end of a game he mostly controlled. The Padres managed just five runs over the full three-game set, which made it hard for any starter to rescue the series on his own.
Now the rematch has swung back to Petco Park, and Pivetta has a chance to answer for that night. The Padres opened this year’s series by blasting the Cubs 8-0 behind seven dominant innings from Michael King, putting themselves one win away from sending Chicago home and closing the loop on last October.
That opportunity almost didn’t exist a few months ago. A right elbow flexor strain knocked Pivetta out in April and kept him sidelined until September, leaving the Padres waiting to see whether one of their most dependable starters would contribute again this season.
He came back and finished the regular season 3-2 with a 2.86 ERA and 42 strikeouts across 34 2/3 innings. The workload was limited, but the results were strong enough to earn him this assignment.
San Diego doesn’t need a repeat of King’s gem to put the Cubs away. Five or six clean innings from Pivetta would be enough if the bullpen stays in its current shape. The bigger task is simple: keep Chicago from hanging around long enough to make Game 2 feel anything like a coin flip.
The Padres also have more than the series win in front of them. A victory would avoid forcing them to reveal their Game 3 pitching plan and would give them extra time to line up the rotation for the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS. Every inning matters now.
Last year, Pivetta left Wrigley after two swings changed everything. This time, he gets the Cubs in a different building, with the Padres in control and Petco Park ready for the kind of night that erases an old wound.
In Other News...
Padres Fans Have Every Reason To Hate This Wild Card Broadcast Choice
As the Padres get ready for their wild-card series against the Cubs, NBC Sports is adding a familiar face to the broadcast mix for Game 1. Clayton Kershaw will be part of the networks Inside the Pitch crew, a choice that instantly stands out to anyone who followed his long run with the Dodgers and the years of tension that came with it from San Diegos side.
NBC Sports has said the assignment came down to scheduling and Kershaws recent work in analyst roles, not any direct tie to either team in the series. Still, for Padres fans, seeing a recently retired Dodger on the microphone for the opener is the kind of detail that can color the broadcast before the first pitch is even thrown, especially with a rivalry that has hardly faded just because Kershaws playing days are over. [Read more 🡒]
Former Padres Roster Piece Quietly Closed The Book On His Career
Tyler Wade has quietly closed the book on a nine-year major league career, announcing his retirement after a run that took him from the Yankees to the Angels, Athletics and eventually the Padres. For San Diego, he was one of those versatile roster pieces whose value often lived in the margins, the kind of player a team leans on for depth, defense and lineup flexibility as the season wears on.
Wades final MLB appearance came in 2025, and he tried to keep the career going with a minor league deal from the Rangers in 2026. But after 16 games in Triple-A, he was released and never made it back to the majors, bringing an understated end to a path that never drew much attention but still left him a place in the Padres recent roster history. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Just Sent A Serious Wild Card Message
The Padres opened the Wild Card series in emphatic fashion, rolling past the Cubs 8-0 and setting the tone for a matchup they know could hinge on every inning. Michael King delivered the kind of start San Diego needed, working seven strong frames and coming within a hit of a no-hitter, while Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado gave the offense an immediate jolt with early home runs.
Joe Musgrove handled the ninth to finish off the shutout, and the all-around performance left San Diego looking every bit like a team that expects to keep playing deep into October. Game 1 was not just a win, but a statement about how sharp the Padres can look when their rotation and power bats show up together. [Read more 🡒]