Making their return to the playoffs for the first time in a full season since 2018, the Chicago Cubs picked up a 3-1 win over the San Diego Padres in front of the Wrigley Field faithful as Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly hit back-to-back home runs to begin the fifth inning.
Even with staff ace Cade Horton out with a fractured right rib, the Cubs managed to limit San Diego’s talented offense to just one run. Chicago’s win contained plenty of intrigue, including a puzzling roll of the dice from manager Craig Counsell and the continuation of a worrisome trend from one-time MVP darling Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Here are the winners and losers from the Cubs’ Game 1 win in the National League Wild Card Series.
Winner: Xander Bogaerts
After he signed an 11-year, $280 million contract with the Padres following the 2022 season, no player has received more criticism from San Diego fans than shortstop Xander Bogaerts. Bogaerts, who turns 33 on Oct. 1, put together a strong campaign during his first year with the Padres but promptly tailed off, posting just 2.0 fWAR last season before rebounding to 3.2 fWAR in 2025. Nevertheless, with Bogaerts on the wrong side of 30, his contract looks like an albatross.
Bogaerts put the criticism on pause with his Game 1 performance, going 2-for-4 with an RBI double — the lone run the Padres scored — and an infield single. He also accounted for half of San Diego’s four hits as their offense struggled to find a spark. A resurgent Bogaerts could help keep the Padres’ season alive.
Winner: Craig Counsell
Few managers have a finger on the pulse of their ballclub quite like Counsell does. The 55-year-old made a habit of doing more with less during his time in Milwaukee, then demonstrated his uncanny ability to push the right buttons once again during Chicago’s Game 1 win.
Cubs starter Matthew Boyd rolled through 4 1/3 innings on 58 pitches to begin the game, allowing one run but churning through the top of the Padres order twice. With a low pitch count and just one earned run to his name, Boyd seemed poised to pitch deep into the afternoon until Counsell made the surprising decision to give him the hook.
Had the move not paid off, Counsell easily would’ve landed in the dunce section of this list, but Chicago’s bullpen didn’t allow a single baserunner across the final 14 batters. The Cubs took a 2-1 lead with consecutive home runs in the bottom of the fifth and never looked back, in large part because of their bullpen.
Loser: Pete Crow-Armstrong
Crow-Armstrong seemed like the National League MVP front-runner through the first three months of the regular season, hitting 21 home runs with elite defense. Once the calendar flipped to July, Crow-Armstrong’s performance fell off a cliff. He managed to clear the fences just 10 times the rest of the way, posting a miserable slash line of .228/.274/.412.
The polarizing young outfielder’s struggles continued during his first taste of playoff action, as he went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and a throwing error.
Loser: A.J. Preller
A.J. Preller, San Diego’s president of baseball operations and general manager, has wheeled and dealed like few others during his 11 years and counting at the head of the Padres organization. His cornerstone acquisitions did next to nothing on Tuesday afternoon. Superstar right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. went 0-for-4 with a strikeout, as did first baseman Luis Arraez. Manny Machado went 0-for-3 with a strikeout and a walk.
Despite a run of success like few others in Padres history during his time at the helm, not even Preller is immune from criticism. When San Diego has disappointed or Preller’s gutsy moves don’t pay off, calls for his firing have cropped up quickly. Another disappointing playoff finish will set that chorus off again.
