Gavin Sheets' pinch-hit homer propels dominant Padres past Cubs 4-1 for 2-game Wild Card sweep

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. hit the first leadoff homer in Padres playoff history on the Cubs’ first pitch, Michael King took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and San Diego rolled to an 8-0 victory over Chicago in their NL Wild Card Series opener on Tuesday night. Nico Hoerner got Chicago’s only hit off King with a one-out infield single in the seventh. Manny Machado also homered in the first inning and added an RBI double in the third during an emphatic opening statement by the 91-win Padres. Xander Bogaerts also homered off Cubs starter Matthew Boyd, and Jackson Merrill added a two-run single later. King struck out eight over seven innings while thoroughly throttling the majors’ highest-scoring team. The series continues with Game 2 on Wednesday night at Petco Park. San Diego leads the best-of-three series 1-0. The winner will face the MLB-best Milwaukee Brewers in the best-of-five division series. Back in 1984, Tony Gwynn and Steve Garvey led the Padres to their first World Series appearance using home-field energy at Jack Murphy Stadium. Current players like Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado hope to replicate that success with the support of 3,347,081 fans this season, second only to the Dodgers in total attendance. Last year, San Diego lost 2-1 to the Cubs in a Wild Card game at Wrigley Field. Chicago is now +108 to win Game 2, with the total set at 7.5 runs. Michael King’s performance silenced any doubts about his ability against strong lineups, setting up a potential series clincher for San Diego. The Padres' win marked an emphatic response to Chicago's regular-season dominance and humiliation in July. Hoerner reached on an infield single when Machado couldn’t field cleanly enough to make the play. King’s no-hit bid ended in the seventh inning but he struck out two more batters before being relieved. San Diego is now -131 favorites for Game 2, looking to build momentum and control their path to the division series against Milwaukee. The Cubs' lineup, known for its high walk rate and low strikeout percentage, struggled mightily against King’s approach that induced weak contact despite lower than average strikeouts and walks compared to league standards. Matthew Boyd started for Chicago but was unable to prevent an early deficit due to Tatis Jr.’s leadoff homer and Machado’s first-inning blast. This sets the stage for a pivotal Game 2 where San Diego aims to secure their place in the division series with another strong performance. San Diego hopes to continue leveraging their home-field advantage against Chicago, who now face an uphill battle in reversing last year's elimination at Wrigley Field. The Padres' strategy seems focused on capitalizing on King’s ability to neutralize high-power lineups while maintaining solid defensive support from Machado and others. If successful, San Diego will move closer to avenging their postseason loss from the previous season. The series remains heavily contested, with each team aware of the importance of leveraging home-field energy for a potential division series berth against Milwaukee’s formidable pitching rotation. The focus now shifts to Wednesday night's Game 2 at Petco Park, where San Diego will look to extend their lead and advance further in the playoffs.