Dude, September baseball is just different. We saw some wild stuff go down yesterday around the league, but let me tell you, the Padres absolutely flattened the Chicago Cubs with an 8-0 shutout in Game One of the National League Wild Card Series. It was a full-on shellacking, and honestly, the Cubs looked punchless from the jump.
Padres Went Off, King Was Electric, Musgrove Back!
How early did the wind get taken out of the Cubs’ sails? Try the first two batters! Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado both went deep off Matthew Boyd, and that was basically the ballgame right there. Talk about setting a tone. With that kind of lead, Michael King was electric on the mound, even taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning. Seriously, he was dealing. And of course, we saw Xander Bogaerts, that former Red Sox slugger, blast a home run himself, just piling on the misery for Chicago. The Padres’ bullpen slammed the door shut, completing the shutout. But the coolest moment, especially for anyone still up at 1 AM, had to be Joe Musgrove coming back from a lengthy Tommy John recovery. That’s just awesome to see a guy battle back like that and be part of such a dominant win.
Riley Crushes for Braves, Sale Deals for Phillies
Elsewhere, the Braves and Phillies gave us a much tighter contest, with the Braves pulling out a 5-3 win. Phillies pitching, led by starter Jesus Luzardo, was cruising through seven innings, and Jhoan Duran was looking solid against the Braves lineup. Until he wasn’t. Michael Harris II started a rally, and then Austin Riley blasted a three-run home run that flipped a 3-2 game completely on its head. Talk about a gut punch for Philly fans. On the bright side, even though he got a no decision, Chris Sale looked great for the Phillies. He pitched 6 1/3 innings, struck out nine batters, and only allowed three runs. He definitely gave his team a chance, but Riley had other plans.
White Sox Get a Win Thanks to Ex-Red Sox Power
Over in the White Sox and Astros game, the ChiSox pulled ahead for a 6-3 victory. We saw some familiar faces getting it done in relief, too. Jordan Hicks, who was part of that “get Jordan Hicks off my baseball team” trade, picked up the decision win after a valuable outing. David Sandlin, the other guy in that trade, also contributed in relief. Even another former Red Sox pitcher, Sean Newcomb, got in on the action, though he did give up two runs. Interestingly, the two-run home run Newcomb allowed was the *only* extra-base hit the White Sox allowed all night. It’s wild seeing so many former Boston players making noise in the postseason for other teams, but hey, a win is a win.
Yesterday’s games showed exactly why this time of year is so intense. We had blowouts, comeback homers, dominant pitching, and guys returning from injury. You just never know what’s coming next, but you can bet the intensity is only going to ramp up from here.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Over the Monster.
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