Padres sweep Cubs, Gavin Sheets’ pinch‑hit homer seals NL Wild Card

sportsOct 1, 202637495

Gavin Sheets hit a pinch-hit two-run homer off Daniel Palencia and the San Diego Padres beat the Chicago Cubs 4-1 to complete a two-game NL Wild Card Series sweep. Five Padres pitchers combined on a five-hitter, with Mason Miller closing the game for the save and Padres hurlers holding the Cubs to one run. Xander Bogaerts went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run, and Jackson Merrill finished 2-for-3 with a run. The homer off a 100.8 mph pitch was noted as the hardest pitch a Padres player has homered off in tracking since 2008. The win eliminates the Cubs from the postseason and sends San Diego to the NL Division Series, where they will face the Milwaukee Brewers next.

Meghan Montemurro

@mmontemurro.bsky.social

A disappointing, underwhelming ending for the Cubs. Their season is over, getting swept in the Wild Card by the Padres with tonight's 4-1 loss in Game 2.

759d ago

Julie DiCaro4

OMG, Meghan! I was two pitches behind! Way to ruin the ending!! 😉

EA2

To do list: Overhaul the bullpen. Find some starters that can somehow stay healthy. Re-sign Seiya. Give Happ a front office gig.

Mark Nenadov1

This photo I took a few days sums it up for me

Sarah Langs

@slangsonsports.bsky.social

Gavin Sheets off 100.8 mph! That’s the fastest pitch a Padres player has homered off of under tracking (2008 incl post) And 3rd-fastest for HR by anyone in postseason in span, behind: Seiya Suzuki, 101.4 mph, 2025 NLDS Game 5 Jackson Chourio, 101.4 mph, 2025 NLDS Game 2

409d ago

Marie Coronel

@mariecoronelsd.bsky.social

Padres SWEEP 🧹the Cubs to Advance to NLDS with a 4-1 Win in San Diego. Xander Bogaerts 2-3 RBI & Run; Gavin Sheets Pinch Hit 2-Run Homer; Jackson Merrill 2-3, Run; Adrian Morejon 2 Scoreless; Mason Miller Save, 2 Ks. Next Up Milwaukee! #ForTheFaithful #FriaredUp #Postseason

429d ago

Sam Bernero

@sambernero.bsky.social

I am so disappointed our Cubs season is over, but I love you Cubs. Congrats to the Padres and their fans.

359d ago

Jordan Bastian

@bastianmlb.bsky.social

Padres 4, Cubs 1 The final book of 2026 ⤵️

329d ago

combinatorialist.bsky.social3

Thanks for all you do.

frannypat.bsky.social1

Can we start talking about Craig Counsell?

⚾️ Patrick 🖤

@starclusterr.bsky.social

welp. so long 2026 cubs. sucks about the entire pitching staff. padres, please go beat the brewers

229d ago

Roger Cormier

@themetsnewsletter.com

Clay Holmes never pitched in the NLWCS for the Cubs against the Padres. Tyrone Taylor went 1 for 1 with a single as a pinch hitter. The Mets get to keep Jefferson Rojas anyway.

269d ago

Anthony4

I was under the impression that Holmes was acquired to pitch in the post-season for the Cubs this year. It's extremely on brand for them that he only got up to warm up at the very end of the game tonight

Matt Vader4

They traded Owen Caissie, Jefferson Rojas and Moises Ballesteros for pitchers who got a total of four outs in the postseason. Woof.

joeflah13.bsky.social3

Can’t hear you over PCA, can you repeat yourself?

Matt From Iowa1

None of the trades that were made at the deadline helped this team make a push for a better playoff position. Also, none of them did anything in the playoffs to put them in a position to win. Really frustrating and the Cubs minor league system is near the bottom now.

Quoting this

Michael Ernst6

Cubs are happy to cope in PCA

Bleacher Nation

@bleachernation.bsky.social

And it Ends with a Whimper: Padres 4, Cubs 1 — September 30, 2026 https://www.bleachernation.com/cubs/2026/10/01/cubs-padres-ebs-wcg2/

189d ago

DAT252

Whimper still doesn't feel pathetic enough of a descriptor for whatever the hell this was

Peter Wagner (a Real Dr., not a surgeon-barber/body-tech/golfer)1

You cannot judge anything on two games, and the Padres pitching would have swept any of the other WCS teams except the maybe the Yanks (it would probably be 1-1 although possibly two close wins for the Yanks). But as a Cubs and Sox fan, this was painful!

🖤♡Amanda♡🖤

@zephyrsky.bsky.social

This Padres and Cubs series has been fun. Well, I guess unless you’re a Cubs fan

169d ago

Rob Hanna3

I wanted it to be fun, but this is like the torture scene in Reservoir Dogs.

kat, ghost of helenruthsghost3

Lololol I thought I posted this

PhillyGuy631

Who would’ve guessed in April that the Chicago team advancing in the playoffs would be the White Sox?

Bell1

So we're going to be the only game tomorrow?

John Gennaro

@johngennaro.com

I got mine right before Padres-Cubs and asked the nurse to put both in the same (non-dominant) arm. Without missing a beat, he goes “Why? Padres need you coming out of the bullpen tomorrow?” Fucking roasted.

158d ago