On some level, Manny Machado had to wonder if he’d even get his chance. First base was open, the Padres were nursing a fragile one-run lead, and Cubs manager Craig Counsell had decisions to make. The matchup — Machado against left-hander Shota Imanaga — tilted heavily in Chicago’s favor.
But Counsell never flashed four fingers from the dugout. And in that split second, the fate of the Cubs’ Wild Card hopes may have shifted.
Machado strode into the box in the fifth inning Wednesday afternoon at Wrigley Field and wasted no time. On the first pitch, Imanaga left a splitter over the plate. Machado’s swing — violent yet perfectly balanced — sent the ball screaming into the left-field bleachers. The two-run home run doubled San Diego’s lead and provided all the cushion they’d need in a 3-0 victory to even the National League Wild Card Series at one game apiece.
“Big-time players show up in big-time moments,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said afterward. “And that’s exactly what Manny did.”
The victory ensured a winner-take-all Game 3 on Thursday — and made history in the process. San Diego became the first team ever to lose Game 1 on the road in a best-of-three Wild Card set, then rebound to force a deciding game.
The story of the day was more than just Machado’s swing. It was a masterclass in run prevention. Dylan Cease, making just his second career postseason start, gave the Padres exactly what they needed: 3 2/3 innings of scoreless ball. He scattered three hits and struck out five before handing the ball to the bullpen.
From there, San Diego’s relievers slammed the door with ruthless efficiency.
Adrian Morejon retired all seven batters he faced on just 33 pitches. Mason Miller then stole the show, blowing away the heart of Chicago’s lineup with five straight strikeouts. His 104.5 mph fastball to freeze Carson Kelly in the seventh inning wasn’t just unhittable — it set a postseason velocity record in the pitch-tracking era.
“That pitch was unfair,” Kelly admitted afterward. “You can’t even prepare for that.”
Finally, closer Robert Suarez entered in the eighth and recorded the last four outs for the save, preserving San Diego’s shutout win.
The Padres’ offense had been stifled in Game 1, as their top three hitters combined to go 0-for-11. On Wednesday, that group ignited early.
Fernando Tatis Jr. and Luis Arraez singled in the first inning, then executed a double steal to rattle Imanaga. Machado’s groundout plated Tatis for a quick 1-0 lead.
When the fifth inning rolled around, it was Tatis again who sparked the rally, drawing a walk. Arraez moved him over with a sacrifice bunt, setting up the pivotal at-bat that brought Machado to the plate. Counsell had right-hander Michael Soroka warm in the bullpen but opted to stay with Imanaga. He also considered putting Machado on intentionally. Instead, he pitched to him. And Machado made the Cubs pay.
For San Diego, Machado’s homer was more than a momentum shift — it was a reminder of the stability he has brought to this franchise’s modern playoff era. Since arriving in 2019, he has become the face of October baseball for the Padres. His home run Wednesday was his eighth in the postseason, extending his franchise record, while his 15th RBI also sits atop the Padres’ October leaderboard.
“This is why we’ve leaned on Manny all these years,” Shildt said. “When the lights are brightest, he delivers.”
Now, after splitting the first two games at Wrigley, the Padres and Cubs will meet Thursday in a decisive Game 3. For San Diego, one more win would secure consecutive postseason series victories for just the second time in franchise history.
And if history has taught them anything, it’s that Manny Machado will be right in the middle of it.
