Pete Crow-Armstrong showed up in San Diego in April with one home run and a .613 OPS. By the time he left Petco Park, the Cubs center fielder looked like a different player entirely.
That series ended up being the spark for a monster run. Crow-Armstrong homered on April 28, went deep again the next day, and from that point on he posted a 1.007 OPS with 44 home runs and 100 RBIs. Now he comes back to Petco Park as a 40-40 player and the favorite to win National League MVP.
That’s the awkward part for the Padres. They earned home field for this Wild Card rematch, but the ballpark where they wanted to make life hard on Chicago is also where Crow-Armstrong’s season took off.
Petco can’t just be loud. It has to tilt the series.
And if the Padres are going to flip the script, Fernando Tatis Jr. is the one who has to drive it.
Tatis had his own long climb this season. His first home run didn’t come until May 30, and for a while his year felt stuck in place.
But he finished the regular season with 25 homers and helped power San Diego’s offense from an early-season mess into MLB’s hottest September lineup. The Padres need that version of him now, not just as a threat, but as the tone-setter.
The burden isn’t all on Tatis, of course. Plenty of players in that clubhouse still remember how the Cubs shut them down to end 2025 at Wrigley Field.
Chicago held San Diego to five runs over the three-game Wild Card Series. The Padres scored once in each loss and never held a lead in the decisive Game 3.
Their bullpen kept them alive that afternoon, but the lineup kept waiting for a big swing that never came until it was too late. Tatis was part of that quiet, too.
Now the setting is different, and the Padres have the chance to make it matter. They brought this rematch back to Petco Park for a reason.
Crow-Armstrong can keep the MVP buzz. The Padres need Tatis to own the series.
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 🡒]