Game 1 did not end the way the San Diego Padres had planned. Now, their postseason lives are in the hands of Dylan Cease. Win and you live for another day.
The Chicago Cubs will counter with an opener,
Andrew Kittredge, before handing the ball to Shota Imanaga, who is expected to pitch the bulk of the contest. However, neither fan base is confident in the choice. Each pitcher is a wild card option because of their inconsistency on the mound this season.
However, it is October baseball, and someone can change their fortunes with an exceptional outing.
Somewhat of a homecoming for Cease
Starting at Wrigley Field is somewhat of a homecoming for Cease, who was drafted in the sixth round of the 2014 MLB Draft by the Cubs. In 2017, he was sent to their crosstown rival, the Chicago White Sox, in the Jose Quintana trade.
Now, the 29-year-old will get his chance for revenge on his former team in a pivotal postseason start. 2025 has not been great for Cease, as he battled through control issues all season long. The right-hander went 8-12 with a 4.55 ERA in 32 starts. Cease struck out 215 hitters in 168.0 innings pitched. The blackeye on his stat line is the base on balls. He has walked 71 batters, which is his highest season total since 2023.
Despite all of his struggles, Cease is one of the hardest-throwing starters in baseball. He has been known to touch the gun with a 100 MPH four-seamer fastball. Typically, his other pitches (slider and curveball) clock in the mid-to-high 90s during an outing.
For the Padres to survive another day, Cease needs to have Cubs hitters chase, whiff, and strikeout (29.8% rate) by utilizing his entire pitching repertoire.
Make Imanaga work for his outs
In the first two months of the season, the Cubs had one of the best starting rotations in the majors. However, injuries have derailed this unit, and the recent loss of young phenom Cade Horton (rib fracture) has manager Craig Counsell scrambling to fill out a playoff rotation. To move on to the National League Division Series, Imanaga must be productive and close out the Wild Card Series.
He has been a .500 pitcher since returning from a hamstring injury sustained in late May. Imanaga finished with a 5-6 record and a 4.36 ERA after coming off the injury list on June 28.
When he is on his game, Imanaga excels at limiting hard contact with the use of deception. It is effectively achieved by using his entire pitching arsenal. However, if Imanaga is off with his velocity, you can expect the ball to leave the Friendly Confines in a hurry. Usually, he is struggling with his command and pitching sequence. But the Cubs have been more concerned with him failing to pitch past the fifth inning.
The Friars’ primary focus is not being too aggressive at the plate. The lineup must force Imanaga to throw strikes and not chase pitches out of the strike zone. Finally, do not make it easy for the Cubs; make them earn a series sweep.
In baseball, momentum is only as good as your next day’s starter. Game 2 will not be played on paper, so the Padres must create their own momentum by playing smart in all facets of the game.
Cease and Imanaga can change their season’s fortune by shutting down their opponent’s bats.
Let’s see who succeeds.
