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    Cubs-Padres Game Three Thread: Sudden Death Baseball

    It all comes down to this. The Cubs and Padres square off to determine who has the right to face the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS.
    Brandon Glick

    By Brandon Glick

    Image courtesy of © Matt Marton-Imagn Images

    Cubs Video

    Padres pitching dominated Cubs hitters on Wednesday, forcing a winner-take-all Game 3 in Chicago. The starters are right-handers Jameson Taillon for Chicago and Yu Darvish for San Diego. In 2025, Taillon posted a 3.68 ERA, and Darvish a 5.38 as an injury-plagued season limited him to only 15 starts. Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) tells a different story, though; Taillon has a 2025 FIP of 5.00, and Darvish has a 4.83 FIP. This game is unlikely to become a pitcher's duel, at least until both teams reach into their respective bullpens.

    Cubs Bullpen Usage
    Game 1 (Tuesday), Chicago’s relief corps delivered 4 2/3 perfect innings behind starter Matthew Boyd. The sequence was Daniel Palencia for 1 2/3, then Drew Pomeranz, Andrew Kittredge, and Brad Keller covering the final three innings. In Game 2 (Wednesday), the Cubs used an opener approach. Andrew Kittredge handled the 1st, followed by Shota Imanaga for bulk innings. After that, lefty Caleb Thielbar, righty Colin Rea, and lefty Taylor Rogers finished it off; their batters faced were Kittredge 5, Imanaga 17, Thielbar 4, Rea 6, Rogers 3.  Kittredge is the only Cubs pitcher to appear in both games so far, and he is likely out for Thursday's game as a result. 

    Padres Bullpen Usage
    Game 1, San Diego followed starter Nick Pivetta with Adrian Morejon, Mason Miller, and Jeremiah Estrada. In Game 2, Dylan Cease started and worked 3 2/3. Adrian Morejon covered 2 1/3 innings and threw 33 pitches, Mason Miller struck out the first five batters he faced and threw 27 pitches, and Robert Suarez recorded a four-out save to close a 3-0 win. It's likely that both Morejon and Miller will be unavailable for Thursday's game, but given the nature of the situation, it might be all hands on deck for Mike Shildt.

    Padres Batters Vs Jameson Taillon

    Jameson Taillon vs. San Diego Padres: Current Batters Table
    Rk Player B PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS SH SF IBB HBP GIDP
    1 Xander Bogaerts R 28 28 6 3 0 0 2 0 5 .214 .214 .321 .536 0 0 0 0 1
    2 Ryan O'Hearn L 17 16 3 0 0 0 0 1 2 .188 .235 .188 .423 0 0 0 0 1
    3 Martín Maldonado R 16 14 4 1 0 1 1 1 2 .286 .375 .571 .946 0 0 1 1 1
    4 Luis Arráez L 13 13 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 .231 .231 .231 .462 0 0 0 0 0
    5 Jose Iglesias R 13 13 7 2 0 1 3 0 1 .538 .538 .923 1.462 0 0 0 0 0
    6 Gavin Sheets L 11 10 3 1 0 0 0 1 3 .300 .364 .400 .764 0 0 0 0 0
    7 Fernando Tatis Jr. R 6 6 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 .333 .333 .833 1.167 0 0 0 0 0
    8 Manny Machado R 5 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 .000 .200 .000 .200 0 0 0 0 0
    9 Jake Cronenworth L 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0
    10 Freddy Fermin R 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .500 .500 .500 1.000 0 0 0 0 0
    Provided by Stathead.com: Found with Stathead. See Full Results.
    Generated 10/2/2025.

    Cubs Batters Vs Yu Darvish

    Yu Darvish vs. Chicago Cubs: Current Batters Table
    Rk Player B PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS SH SF IBB HBP GIDP
    1 Justin Turner R 27 24 5 1 0 1 1 3 10 .208 .296 .375 .671 0 0 0 0 0
    2 Dansby Swanson R 22 19 3 1 0 0 1 3 6 .158 .273 .211 .483 0 0 1 0 0
    3 Ian Happ B 14 13 2 0 0 0 2 1 6 .154 .214 .154 .368 0 0 0 0 0
    4 Nico Hoerner R 11 10 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 .200 .273 .400 .673 0 0 0 0 0
    5 Carson Kelly R 10 10 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 .300 .300 .300 .600 0 0 0 0 0
    6 Kyle Tucker L 6 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .167 .167 .167 .333 0 0 0 0 0
    7 Seiya Suzuki R 5 4 1 1 0 0 0 1 2 .250 .400 .500 .900 0 0 0 0 0
    8 Michael Busch L 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0
    9 Pete Crow-Armstrong L 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0
    Provided by Stathead.com: Found with Stathead. See Full Results.
    Generated 10/2/2025.

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    Featured Comments

    Hortonhearsawho

    Hortonhearsawho 84

    Posted

    The 2nd inning is probably going to be our best chance at scoring runs in this game. 

    UMFan83

    UMFan83 3,013

    Posted

    1 minute ago, soccer10k said:

    Only 2 more chances to score off Darvish, maybe 3.

    I mean he could get pulled at any point.  If the Cubs get the first 2 on next inning they might decide to pull him.

    UMFan83

    UMFan83 3,013

    Posted

    Couldn't have hit that to a more perfect spot

    Manny Trillos Brother

    Manny Trillos Brother 15

    Posted

    4 minutes ago, UMFan83 said:

    So did the home runs.  Guys I'm a little concerned that we don't have the power and the speed to be the best in the National League

    This should have gotten more attention, great comment! 😆

    • Haha 1
    chibears55

    chibears55 794

    Posted

    1 hour ago, UMFan83 said:

    If we lose we lose, whatever.  92 wins, won a playoff game, hobbled into the playoffs with arguably our 2 best starters (Steele and Horton) out and our best hitter banged up and only recently returned and doesn't seem fully locked in yet.

    Of course that's loser talk, just win, etc.  Just saying I might be upset in the immediate aftermath but overall I won't be anywhere near as disappointed as I was after past playoff eliminations.

     

    It'll sting more if they do little to nothing in offseason to improve enough to get themselves back into it with another 90+ win season. 

    Outshined_One

    Outshined_One 844

    Posted

    I'm happy with Jamo's results so far, but I'd be shocked to see him go more than 3 IP today.  Second time through the order with his stuff...yikes.

    Jason Ross

    Jason Ross 2,540

    Posted

    Just now, Outshined_One said:

    I'm happy with Jamo's results so far, but I'd be shocked to see him go more than 3 IP today.  Second time through the order with his stuff...yikes.

    If he looks this in command again next inning, I'd probably let him come out in the 4th but pull him the first moment there was even a small whiff of trouble. 

    • Like 1
    UMFan83

    UMFan83 3,013

    Posted

    1 minute ago, Outshined_One said:

    I'm happy with Jamo's results so far, but I'd be shocked to see him go more than 3 IP today.  Second time through the order with his stuff...yikes.

    Would be nice if the Cubs could give him a couple of runs and maybe give him a little more slack to face the order a second time.

    Jason Ross

    Jason Ross 2,540

    Posted

    Good swing by Tuck.

    UMFan83

    UMFan83 3,013

    Posted

    I wonder if there's an advantage for the hitter when you see 3 pitches, the inning ends, you are the DH so not focused on the field, and then you come up again.  It's almost like facing him a second time. 

    Outshined_One

    Outshined_One 844

    Posted

    GET A horsefeathers RUN IN OR I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL BAN EVERY MOTHER horsefeathers IN THIS THREAD.

    • Haha 1
    • Love 1
    soccer10k

    soccer10k 545

    Posted

    Have to get at least 1 here, if not 2.

    UMFan83

    UMFan83 3,013

    Posted

    Well Tucker seems to be running ok enough.  I was worried he was going to be station to station.

    JHBulls

    JHBulls 855

    Posted

    Now we are cooking with gas. Or whatever the expression is.  

    Outshined_One

    Outshined_One 844

    Posted

    Just now, Outshined_One said:

    GET A horsefeathers RUN IN OR I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL BAN EVERY MOTHER horsefeathers IN THIS THREAD.

    Kidding, of course.

    ...or am I?

    muntjack

    muntjack 227

    Posted

    Need both

    UMFan83

    UMFan83 3,013

    Posted

    Kelly is the key at bat since we have no idea what PCA will give us

    chibears55

    chibears55 794

    Posted

    Taillon is dealing so far, this is what I was talking about yesterday wanting to see a little urgency out of the hitters to get up there and get some positive results and go into attack mode.

    Tucker and Zuki getting them going now 

    Rex Buckingham

    Rex Buckingham 702

    Posted

    Just now, UMFan83 said:

    Kelly is the key at bat since we have no idea what PCA will give us

    I think we have a pretty good idea what Pete will give us... 

    Rex Buckingham

    Rex Buckingham 702

    Posted

    gotta love how into it the crowd is... let's give them a reason to blow the top off Pete!

    chibears55

    chibears55 794

    Posted

    3 minutes ago, UMFan83 said:

    Would be nice if the Cubs could give him a couple of runs and maybe give him a little more slack to face the order a second time.

    That a big key, get him a few runs and let him relax and just deal for a few innings 



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