All season lengthy, the Chicago Cubs had been essentially the most dominant offense in baseball. Not simply that, however Pete Crow-Armstrong was the perfect participant within the sport and can take house the MVP when award season rolls round. Nonetheless, each flaw we’ve seen from the Cubs this season has been on full show, as their season is on life assist they usually now path the San Diego Padres 1-0 within the NL Wild Card race.
Let’s give the Padres some credit score first. Michael King was superior, and actually seemed like a bona fide ace. Extra importantly than King’s 7-inning, 8-strikeout efficiency was the offensive explosion from a group that has been so inconsistent on the plate. Whereas Manny Machado will reside in Cooperstown when his profession is all stated and achieved, he has struggled on the plate this 12 months.
Luckily, he had one in every of his greatest video games of the season, with an enormous house run within the first, an insurance coverage RBI within the third, and reaching base 3 instances on the night time. The Padres had 13 hits final night time and took benefit of a Cubs pitching employees that has been rocky all season lengthy.
Regardless of the Padres trying nice in recreation one, I really feel this was extra of a disappointment for Chicago. In his first style of postseason motion final 12 months, PCA seemed completely overmatched. He had an OPS of .399 in 27 ABs, and struck out 12 instances. It appeared he picked up proper the place he left off with a near-Golden Sombrero: three strikeouts, a zero-hit day.
PCA was one of many extra dominant gamers in baseball, proving many doubters improper through the common season, however his greatest points had been highlighted below the intense lights. At instances, Crow-Armstrong appears to press an excessive amount of on the plate. When the remainder of the Cubs’ offense is struggling, he additionally struggles, and his strikeout points start to floor. However to present PCA some grace, he wasn’t the one Cub to wrestle towards King, who allowed just one hit all night time.
Chicago has to start out sturdy in recreation two towards Nick Pivetta. The righty missed many of the season with an harm, however when he did play, he was stable, although he wasn’t going deep into video games. Pivetta by no means threw greater than 5 innings this 12 months, which could appear to be a optimistic for the Cubs, however I’m undecided it’s.
The Padres bullpen is among the greatest in baseball, they usually weren’t wanted in what was a blowout in recreation one. If the Cubs can’t begin quick tonight and Kevin Gausman can’t restrict the injury, Chicago gained’t even get to say they performed October baseball in 2026.
