Cubs vs Padres Live Today: Free Stream, Pitching Matchups & Real-Time Score Updates

SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Padres opened the National League Wild Card Series with a commanding 7-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Petco Park, seizing a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three showdown. Leadoff star Fernando Tatis Jr. set the tone on the very first pitch, launching a 405-foot homer to straightaway center, and the Padres never looked back. Manny Machado followed Tatis with a solo blast of his own in the opening frame and later doubled home Tatis in the third, finishing the night 2-for-2 with two RBI and two runs scored. Xander Bogaerts added insurance with a towering 399-foot shot in the fourth, while rookie center fielder Jackson Merrill plated two more in the fifth to break the game wide open. Right-hander Michael King delivered six sparkling innings of no-hit baseball, striking out five and walking three before turning the ball over to the bullpen. Chicago’s offense, which averaged 4.9 runs per game during the regular season, managed just four baserunners all night and never advanced a man past second. Key takeaways for Game 2: • Cubs manager David Ross must decide whether to shuffle his lineup to spark production against Padres lefty Blake Snell. • San Diego’s bullpen remains fresh after King’s deep outing, giving skipper Mike Shildt multiple high-leverage options for a potential clincher. • Look for Chicago to lean on ace Justin Steele in a win-or-go-home scenario, hoping to neutralize hot bats like Tatis and Machado. First pitch for Game 2 is set for 7:00 p.m. PT on Peacock, with the Padres one win away from booking a date with the top-seeded Los Angeles Dodgers.