Machado, Tatis power offense, King dominates as Musgrove returns in Padres’ Game 1 win
The Sporting Tribune's Fernando Ramirez writes about a near perfect start of the San Diego Padres playoff beginning.
San Diego Padres' Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. led the offense in Game 1 of the 2026 MLB Playoffs Wildcard round against the Chicago Cubs, powering the team to an 8-0 victory and a 1-0 lead in the series. Tatis' first playoff home run since October 2024 and Machado's second in the postseason extended the Padres' lead to 2-0 in the first inning.
Starting pitcher Michael King went seven innings, allowing only one hit while striking out eight batters on 97 pitches, giving the Padres relief for the bullpen. The Padres' stars, including Bogaerts, Merrill and Xander, contributed to the 8-0 win, with each home run coming off Cubs changeups. In the ninth inning, Joe Musgrove, fresh off the bullpen, entered the game and received a warm welcome from the crowd, celebrating the Padres' dominant performance.
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- Roman Anthony removed from Red Sox’ AL Wild Card Game 1 vs. Yankees sports.yahoo.com
