They say it isn’t over until it is over, but for the Chicago Cubs, the end arrived with a whimper rather than a bang. A lackluster 4-1 loss to the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night officially closed the book on their season, sending the Friars to the Division Series and leaving the Cubs eliminated from the National League Wild Card Series two games to zero. It was a fittingly quiet conclusion for an offense that spent most of the series struggling to find any semblance of rhythm.
The tone was set early when the Cubs lineup went down in order during the first inning, including two strikeouts. While starter Kevin Gausman provided a cleaner start than previous efforts despite battling a shoulder injury, he couldn’t hold off San Diego for long. The wheels came off in the second inning following a leadoff double by Ty France and some opportunistic baserunning, allowing Xander Bogaerts to drive in the first run followed quickly by a sacrifice fly. Suddenly, Chicago found themselves staring at a 2-0 deficit that felt insurmountable given how stagnant their bats had been throughout October.
Chicago did manage occasional flashes of hope, notably in the third and fourth innings where they threatened to bridge the gap. They finally broke through in the fourth when Nico Hoerner singled home Seiya Suzuki for what would be their only run of the game. However, any momentum was immediately extinguished by a dominant Padres bullpen. Shortly after scoring, the Cubs surrendered a towering 394 foot home run to pinch hitter Gavin Sheets off Daniel Palencia, extending the lead to 4-1 and effectively sealing Chicago’s fate.
Looking back at the wreckage of the series, it is clear that a total offensive collapse was the primary culprit. Key contributors like Pete Crow-Armstrong, Alex Bregman, and Michael Busch were nearly invisible at the plate, combining for just one walk across twenty at bats. With Nico Hoerner accounting for half of all team hits in the series, there simply wasn’t enough support to keep pace with San Diego. As Mason Miller struck out more batters to close out the ninth, fans were left hoping that whatever adjustments are made now will lead to a much louder return in 2027.
