https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/page/63/?d=7enhttps://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/cubs-padres-game-two-thread-imanagas-opener-is-a-necessary-evil-r2208/Chicago will treat today as a tandem day on the mound: Andrew Kittredge will open, then Shota Imanaga will follow with a bulk outing. Kittredge worked a clean eighth yesterday. This season, he has held right-handed hitters to a .690 OPS and left-handed hitters to a .541 OPS while his season FIP...2208Wed, 01 Oct 2025 15:05:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/anatomy-of-an-opener-how-cubs-will-navigate-game-2s-decision-points-r2206/Shota Imanaga will still get the ball for the Chicago Cubs in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series Wednesday at Wrigley Field. He just won't be the first one to do so. After they secured a Game 1 win Tuesday afternoon, the Cubs announced that Andrew Kittredge will start Game 2. Kittredge, who has only...2206Wed, 01 Oct 2025 13:31:11 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/craig-counsell-is-perfectly-utilizing-cubs-tactical-advantage-over-padres-lineup-r2204/With Justin Steele sustaining an early-season injury and Cade Horton suffering a poorly-timed one last week, the current state of the Chicago Cubs’ pitching staff is not engendering a ton of confidence. Despite this, Tuesday’s 3-1 victory over the San Diego Padres in the playoff opener might hav...2204Wed, 01 Oct 2025 11:57:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/nl-wild-card-series-game-1-recap-cubs-3-padres-1-r2205/Nothing says postseason baseball like an 80° day in Chicago on the eve of October. Whether or not the temperature reflects normal fall weather, though, the Cubs and the Padres met in the postseason for the first time since 1984. Cubs (de facto) ace Matthew Boyd took on a starter whom they should...2205Wed, 01 Oct 2025 10:41:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/boom-boom-slam-cubs-flip-the-game-in-5th-shut-door-hard-on-padres-to-take-series-lead-r2202/The nervousness that creeps into Wrigley Field when the playoffs start to go wrong in the playoffs is familiar, and it makes a seasoned Cubs fan's skin crawl. Everything feels slightly wrong; you become aware of your socks. There have been too many near-misses and deflating setbacks crowded into...2202Tue, 30 Sep 2025 22:18:16 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/padres-cubs-wild-card-game-one-thread-by-the-numbers-r2201/The Cubs host the Padres at Wrigley Field for game one of the best-of-three National League Wild Card Series; San Diego has tabbed Nick Pivetta as their game one starter, and the series will be played entirely at Wrigley Field.   Cubs hitters vs Nick Pivetta Pivetta, a right-hander, showe...2201Tue, 30 Sep 2025 15:37:54 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/advance-and-survive-your-in-depth-guide-to-padres-cubs-through-an-advance-scouting-lens-r2200/For your average, everyday, regular-season series, it would be borderline psychotic to spend hours putting together a comprehensive scouting report on the opposing team. That's what teams do, of course, because it's the only way to be ready to play the increasingly complex modern game. Fans, how...2200Tue, 30 Sep 2025 11:01:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/platoon-power-breaking-down-the-cubs-three-first-basemen-playoff-strategy-r2199/For the first time in five seasons, postseason baseball will include the Chicago Cubs, with the Wild Card Round making its way to Wrigley Field. Chicago is set to welcome in the San Diego Padres in one of two NL Wild Card series, with the winner set to match up with the top-seeded Milwaukee Brew...2199Mon, 29 Sep 2025 22:17:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/cubs-week-in-review-the-postseason-is-nigh-with-wrigley-field-playing-host-to-the-friars-r2194/Whenever this season concludes for the North Siders, who knows how the book on it will read? But, no matter what, that narrative won't be written without at least one chapter of playoff baseball at Wrigley Field. We knew what was at stake this past week, and burying the letdown of being denied y...2194Mon, 29 Sep 2025 16:08:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/projecting-chicago-cubs-playoff-roster-for-wild-card-series-against-padres-the-pitchers-r2198/Earlier this morning, we talked through the options the Cubs face when constructing a 26-man roster for their upcoming Wild Card Series against the San Diego Padres. In the process, I proposed that the team is likely to carry 15 position players, allowing for the possibilities of injury, ejectio...2198Mon, 29 Sep 2025 14:05:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/how-will-the-padres-line-up-against-the-cubs-r2197/The playoffs are here, and baseball's top teams are preparing for the Wild Card round. Included in these matchups are two of MLB’s most electric teams, the Chicago Cubs (92-70) and the San Diego Padres (90-72). The Cubs will host the Padres at Wrigley Field for a best-of-three series from S...2197Mon, 29 Sep 2025 12:59:15 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/projecting-chicago-cubs-playoff-roster-for-wild-card-series-against-padres-the-hitters-r2196/Building a roster for a win-or-go-home best-of-three series is an entirely different challenge than building one to win 92 games across 162 in a six-month marathon. The Cubs were patient and methodical all year, using their hot start to the 2025 season to accommodate a steady approach the rest o...2196Mon, 29 Sep 2025 11:45:33 +0000