SAN DIEGO — The last time the Chicago Cubs laid eyes on the San Diego Padres they had to refrain from laughing aloud in their faces.
It was July 1 at Wrigley Field.
And the Cubs humiliated the Padres, winning 23-3, with No. 9 hitter Dansby Swanson hitting three home runs and driving in eight runs, handing the Padres their worst loss in the 58-year history of the franchise.
It was the Cubs’ fifth consecutive victory, and the Padres’ fifth consecutive loss, leaving the Padres’ season on the brink.
Well, here they are meeting again, and, oh, how so much has changed.
The Padres these days just so happen to be the hottest team in baseball, winning 17 of their last 20 games, to not only storm into the postseason, but clinch the top wild-card spot, hosting
the Cubs in the best-of-three wild-card series.
It’s a rematch of the wild-card series a year ago, only this time the games will all be played at raucous Petco Park and not Wrigley Field.
The Padres (91-71) are in the postseason for the third consecutive year, fifth time in the last seven years, and believing this time around they could go where they have never gone before in franchise history.
That’s winning a World Series.
They’ve been to the big stage twice, back in 1984 when they knocked off the Cubs in the NLCS before losing in five games to the Detroit Tigers, and again in 1998 when they were swept by the New York Yankees.
They’re ready to give it another go.
The Padres might have a rotation held together by duct tape, but they have the nastiest bullpen in all of the land. No team can shorten games like the Padres with All-Star closer Mason Miller, setup man Adrian Morejon, and rookie Bradgley Rodriguez.
“We played them in a playoff series last year and understand how their bullpen is going to work and how they're going to use Miller and Morejon,’’ Cubs manager Craig Counsell says, “and this year Bradgley Rodriguez has been added to that group as somebody who is pretty darn good.
“We've got to have good at-bats. We've got to make ourselves tough outs, and we're going to have to score against the bullpen, too, and we have scored against their bullpen. So I think we're confident.’’
The Padres, who keep knocking on the playoff door without getting through, still are haunted by not putting away the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024. They were up two games to one in the best-of-five division series, had Game 4 at home, and were shut out in the next two games. They lost in three games to the Cubs last year at Wrigley Field in the wild-card round.
But this time around, they truly believe their fate will be different.
“I think we're firing on all cylinders,’’ says Padres ace Michael King, who will start Game 1 against Cubs starter Matthew Boyd. “I think the last two months, two and a half months, the offense has possibly been the best in baseball. We've really come together as a starting rotation, and the bullpen is obviously a strong piece.
“I think that, when you look at us, we don't really have many weaknesses. ... We're very confident in what we've been doing the last few weeks, and we're very happy that this is the time that we got hot, and we've just got to continue it throughout all this postseason.’’
Padres star third baseman Manny Machado, who produced his lowest OPS (.711) in his career, batting just .217, still managed to hit 30 homers and drive in 91 runs. Fernando Tatis Jr., who didn’t homer until May 30, still hit .289 with 25 homers and 83 RBI. And they got huge production out of first baseman Ty France, signed to a minor-league contract this spring, who hit 21 homers with 72 RBI.
This is why Machado believes this version of the Padres is the best since his arrival in 2019, and could finally be the one that knocks off their mighty neighbors to the north, the Dodgers.
Machado might already have his sights set on the Dodgers. He asked a reporter on Monday, Sept. 28 why he was wearing a bright blue suit that resembled Dodger colors.
“Are you for San Diego,’’ he asked the local reporter.
Reporter: “I am.’’
Machado: “Why are you wearing blue?
Reporter: “Do you like it?’’
Machado: “Obviously not. I'm just asking.’’
So why does Machado believe this team has its best chance to be playing in late October?
“I mean, experience,’’ he said. “At the end of the day, it goes back to experience. We have a lot of the same group that was here last year. Hopefully we get a lot further. But ultimately, I think it's just believing in ourselves, believing in the group that we have in there and go out there and just continue to do what we've been doing.’’
Even though the Cubs ended the Padres’ season last year, and beat them up during the season by winning five of six games, Machado insists there will be no carry-over effect.
“It's a new year, it's a different year,’’ Machado said. “Obviously, that stung last year for us. They played better ball than us last year. This year's going to be a little bit different.
“Playing in front of our home crowd and playing in front of these fans here, I think it's going to be a lot different. Definitely looking forward to that rematch for sure.’’
The Padres enjoy one of the greatest home-field advantages in baseball, playing in front of fans that pack the joint nearly on a nightly basis. The Padres went a sizzling 26-6 in their last 32 home games this season.
“I think being at home is huge,’’ Machado said. “We love playing here, playing in front of this crowd, playing in the stadium. Obviously sleeping at home and being at home is a big advantage, but I think the biggest one is playing in front of the home crowd. They've brought the energy all year. They're going to continue to do it.
“To have a postseason here at home in front of them, they're definitely going to bring the energy, and I think we all feed off of that.’’
The Cubs realize what a difference it can make playing at home themselves at Wrigley Field, but instead of being intimidated, plan to embrace the hostility.
“They have a great atmosphere,” Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner told reporters in Tampa Bay on Sunday after their regular-season finale. “It’s probably one of the places that’s changed the most over the last 10 years or so. They have a great fan base. It’ll be electric, a lot of fun and challenging.”
The winner of the series will face the Milwaukee Brewers, who won an MLB-leading 103 games, and ended the Cubs’ season a year ago.
This time around, the Padres want to be the ones to take a crack at the powerful Brewers, but first, they’ve got to get past the Cubs, who will have third Alex Bregman back in the lineup who suffered eight fractured bones in his face when hit by foul ball standing near the on-deck circle a week ago.
Bregman, who took a ground ball for the first time in a week on Monday, showed that he was ready with the bat Sunday when he went 4-for-4 with two homers.
“He's the man, to be honest,’’ Cubs reliever Jacob Webb said. “That's tough to do. That's really cool and shows the kind of character that he has going through such a crazy injury. I mean, you're putting your career on the line at that point, but he's always prepared.
“He's a good dude. He knows what he's doing. He has his plan, and I think that's the biggest thing, is he wants to be here. He wants to win.’’
No offense, the Padres say, but they would love to send Bregman home early, giving him all winter to heal.
“We're steady,’’ King said. “We're confident. And we're going to go play Padres baseball.’’
Follow Bob Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Built for October, Padres plan on World Series return after 28 years
