Cubs shut down Padres, earn National League Division Series berth

VIDEO SHOWS: HIGHLIGHTS FROM GAME THREE OF THE MLB NATIONAL LEAGUE WILD CARD SERIES BETWEEN THE CHICAGO CUBS AND THE SAN DIEGO PADRES AT WRIGLEY FIELD / SOUNDBITE OF CUBS' MANAGER CRAIG COUNSELL  RESENDING VIDEO WITH UPDATED SLATE SHOWS: CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 2, 2025) (MLB – See restrictions) TOP 1ST 1. CHICAGO CUBS’ STARTER JAMESON TAILLON STRIKES OUT SAN DIEGO PADRES’ FERNANDO TATIS JR. / FERNANDO TATIS JR. WALKING BACK 2. CROWD CHEERING / CUTAWAY OF TAILLON 3. MANNY MACHADO LINES OUT SHARPLY TO CENTER FIELDER PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG / TAILLON CHEERING 4. REPLAY OF PETE CROW-ARMSTONG’S CATCH TOP 2ND 5. TAILLON STRIKES OUT PADRES’ JACKSON MERRILL  / REPLAY 6. TAILLON STRIKES OUT GAVIN SHEETS STRIKES   BOTTOM 2ND 7. PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG SINGLES ON A LINE DRIVE TO CENTER FIELDER JACKSON MERRILL / KYLE TUCKER SCORES TO PUT CUBS 1-0 UP 8. PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG CELEBRATING 9. REPLAY OF PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG’S HIT AND CELEBRATIONS 10. DANSBY SWANSON WALKS / SEIYA SUZUKI SCORES TO MAKE IT 2-0 FOR CUBS 11. SUZUKI BEING CONGRATULATED IN DUGOUT BOTTOM 6TH 12. PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG SINGLES ON A SHARP LINE DRIVE TO RIGHT FIELDER FERNANDO TATIS JR. AND CELEBRATING BOTTOM 7TH 13. MICHAEL BUSCH HOMERS ON A FLY BALL TO RIGHT CENTER FIELD TO MAKE IT 3-0 FOR CUBS 14. REPLAY / BUSCH  CELEBRATING TOP 9TH 15. JACKSON MERRILL HOMERS ON A FLY BALL TO RIGHT CENTER FIELD TO PULL ONE BACK FOR PADRES 1-3  16. REPLAY / MERRILL CELEBRATING  17. PADRES’ FREDDY FERMIN FLIES OUT SHARPLY TO CENTER FIELDER PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG AS CUBS SEAL 3-1 WIN 18. PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG CELEBRATING 19. VARIOUS OF CUBS CELEBRATIONS 20. DISAPPOINTED PADRES’ MANAGER MICHAEL SHILDT 21. CHICAGO CUBS MASCOT WAVING FLAG IN CELEBRATION 22. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHICAGO CUBS MANAGER CRAIG COUNSELL, SAYING: (SOUNDBITE PART OVERLAID BY MATCH CUTAWAYS) “I mean, the defense was, you know, certainly stands out tonight. You know, especially our Our middle infielders, Pete this series, Matt Shaw this series, like absolutely some huge plays.” 23. WHITE FLASH 24. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHICAGO CUBS MANAGER CRAIG COUNSELL, SAYING:  “That's why teams are so connected because you need that stuff to make everybody affect each other. And we played a great defensive game tonight, absolutely." 25. CUBS CELEBRATING WIN STORY: Michael Busch homered to cap a three-hit performance, helping the host Chicago Cubs advance to the National League Division Series with a 3-1 win over the San Diego Padres on Thursday (October 2). Chicago secured a 2-1 victory in the best-of-three NL wild-card series, paving the way for a matchup against the top-seeded Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS. Game One of the best-of-five series is set for Saturday in Milwaukee. Pete Crow-Armstrong delivered an RBI single in the second inning to highlight his own three-hit outing. Dansby Swanson worked a bases-loaded walk later in the second and turned in several stellar defensive plays for the Cubs, who rebounded from a 3-0 setback on Wednesday. Chicago had 13 hits Thursday after totaling just 10 in the previous two games. Daniel Palencia (2-0) allowed two hits in 1 1/3 scoreless innings to pick up his second win of the series. He struck out two batters without surrendering a hit in 1 2/3 scoreless innings in the Cubs' 3-1 victory in Game One on Tuesday. Drew Pomeranz retired all three batters he faced in the seventh inning and Brad Keller worked the eighth before allowing a lead-off homer to Jackson Merrill in the ninth. Keller rebounded to strike out Xander Bogaerts on a controversial 3-2 pitch before hitting both Ryan O'Hearn and Bryce Johnson with a pitch. Andrew Kittredge, working on his third straight day, induced Jake Cronenworth to ground out and Freddy Fermin to fly out to secure the save. Busch deposited a 2-2 fastball from Robert Suarez over the wall in right-center field to lead off the seventh inning and stake Chicago to a 3-0 lead. The Cubs seized a 2-0 lead after their first five batters reached base in the second inning. Kyle Tucker singled and advanced to third on Seiya Suzuki's double to left field. Carson Kelly was hit by a pitch from Yu Darvish (0-1) to load the bases before Crow-Armstrong's RBI single plated Tucker with the game's first run. Darvish departed in favor of fellow former Cubs pitcher Jeremiah Estrada, who promptly walked Swanson on seven pitches with the bases loaded. Darvish permitted two runs on four hits in one-plus inning. (Production: Bhagya Ayyavoo) More MLB content is available on Reuters Connect here: https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?sources=mlbimagen

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