Welcome to Elimination Thursday, as Major League Baseball will have three Game 3s in the Wild Card round. The one that is closest to our hearts will be taking place at the friendly confines of Wrigley
Field.
The game features the San Diego Padres against the Chicago Cubs in a win-or-go-home contest. Unlike the 1984 “David vs Goliath” matchup, both teams expect to be on a flight to Milwaukee after the ballgame.
Darvish needs another October moment
The Friars named Yu Darvish as the scheduled starter in Game 3. The 39-year-old needs to produce another October moment, where he quiets the Cubs offense for at least five innings. It is hard to imagine him going any further, as Michael King is ready to take the reins out of the bullpen.
Darvish had an up-and-down regular season since coming off the injured list in early July. He recorded a 5-5 record with a 5.38 ERA, as Darvish went past the fifth inning in only four of his 15 starts. However, the competitive nature associated with the postseason does allow a pitcher’s talent to take over. Darvish is ready to have a memorable postseason start.
Cubs going with Taillon in elimination game
With the Wild Card Series even at a game apiece, the Cubs will send out Jameson Taillon to end the Padres’ hopes and dreams. It should not come as a surprise because Taillon has been outstanding since returning to the rotation after sustaining a left groin injury in late August.
In four late-season starts, he gave up only four earned runs in 23.1 innings pitched and posted a 1.54 ERA for his efforts. For the Friars’ sake, you hope this is not a sign of things to come for the 33-year-old right-hander.
Once considered a power pitcher, Taillon pitches effectively without reaching peak velocity. His four-seam fastball velocity has declined from 93.2 in April to 92.2 at the end of the regular season. Taillon logged a disappointing 18.9% strikeout rate in 2025.
To get outs, he implements all of his pitches (sweeper, cutter, and curveball) during an appearance. But it remains to be seen if his pitching repertoire translates into postseason success.
Friars cannot let scoring opportunities slip away
It happened once again in Game 2: the Padres got runners in scoring position, only to strand them in place. Thankfully, Manny Machado broke through with a two-run home run in the fifth inning. The Friar Faithful exhaled as it felt like the Padres had an insurmountable lead, especially with how dominant the bullpen had pitched in the series.
However, in an elimination game, the Friars have to hit better than .166 with runners in scoring position. The offense left 11 runners on base in the first two games of the series. To win Game 3, the lineup must be aggressive early in the count. The hitters should not be overwhelmed with Taillon’s four-seam fastball. If not, the offseason starts early.
Darvish is the right pitcher on the mound in an elimination game. He has postseason experience that will set the tone for the Padres in Game 3.
The drama generated in elimination games makes October the best month of the baseball season. As I mentioned earlier, the Friars are planning to spend the weekend in Milwaukee.
