'Powerful even without Song Seong-moon' SD, crushes Cubs 8-0 with 13-hit barrage! Just one win away from NLDS berth

*This content was translated by AI.

Although infielder Song Seong-moon (30) was left off the active roster, the San Diego Padres remained formidable. Leveraging their potent offense and rock-solid pitching staff, they capped off their first game of the 2026 postseason with a decisive victory.

On the 30th (Korean time), at Petco Park in San Diego, California, the Padres thoroughly defeated the Chicago Cubs 8-0 in Game 1 of the 2026 Major League Baseball National League Wild Card Series (NLWS, best-of-three). Having secured a scoreless blowout in the opening game on home turf, San Diego now needs just one more win to advance to the National League Division Series (NLDS). If they defeat the Cubs, they will face the Milwaukee Brewers.

Song Seong-moon, who had drawn attention from domestic baseball fans, failed to make the NLWS roster and did not play, yet the weight of San Diego's lineup did not diminish in the slightest. The Padres unleashed a barrage of 13 hits (including three home runs), ruthlessly dismantling the Cubs' pitching staff.

The start was explosive. Leading off the bottom of the first inning, Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a solo home run over the center field fence against Cubs starter Matt Boyd, seizing the early momentum. The momentum carried straight into the next at-bat, as Manny Machado followed with a powerful solo home run, giving San Diego a 2-0 lead with back-to-back home runs right out of the gate.

San Diego's offensive pressure did not let up. In the bottom of the third inning, following Tatis Jr.'s walk, Machado drove in a run with an RBI double, extending the lead to three. In the bottom of the fourth, Xander Bogaerts hit a solo home run, widening the score to 4-0.

The game was effectively decided in the bottom of the fifth inning. Off a Luis Campusano line drive single, Machado's walk, and Tylor France's left-field single, the Padres created a bases-loaded opportunity with one out. Jackson Merrill then delivered a two-RBI hit against relief pitcher Larian Rorison. Subsequently, runner France scored on an opposing error, pushing the lead to 7-0. In the bottom of the seventh, San Diego capitalized on Tatis Jr.'s infield hit and stolen base, along with another defensive error by the opposition, to make it 8-0, settling the contest early.

The stellar performance of starter Michael King was also dazzling. Showcasing his peak command, King pitched a scoreless seven-inning gem, allowing just one hit and three walks while striking out eight batters, effectively shutting down the Cubs' lineup to earn the win. In the eighth and ninth innings, Yuki Matsui and Joe Musgrove each recorded a scoreless inning in succession, completing the team's complete game shutout victory.

On the offensive side, Tatis Jr. soared with two hits (one home run) in three at-bats, one walk, and one RBI, while Machado also contributed with two hits (one home run) in three at-bats and two RBIs. Tylor France, Jackson Merrill, and Bogaerts all recorded multi-hit games, leading the team to victory.

Conversely, the Cubs were held hitless by King until Nico Hoerner's infield hit in the top of the seventh inning. They also suffered a scoreless embarrassment after failing to capitalize on a bases-loaded opportunity with one out in the top of the ninth, striking out consecutively. Pete Crow-Armstrong, who achieved the historic feat of 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases during the regular season and is considered a strong MVP candidate, struggled with no hits in three at-bats, three strikeouts, and one walk. Starter Boyd also collapsed, allowing five hits (including three home runs) and four runs over four innings to take the loss.

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*This content was translated by AI.