San Diego Padres NLWCS Recap

Additionally, the consecutive lefties in the lineup, Ryan O’Hearn, Gavin Sheets, and Jake Cronenworth, provided two singles and struck out three times. This was especially frustrating given that they finally had a matchup against a right-handed starter but still couldn’t execute.

The only semblance of life for the offense came in the ninth, with Jackson Merrill leading it off with a solo shot.

Xander Bogaerts came to the plate and worked a full count, only to be rung up on a pitch out of the zone.

This strike three call will serve as a shining example of why Major League Baseball needs to implement the ABS system. 

Sure, the whole complexity of the inning would have changed if Bogaerts got on, but the result didn’t hinge on that moment alone. The Padres had 26 other outs to create offense and couldn’t muster anything. 

Overall, if you go 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position, you more times than not win that game.

Another factor was the absence of Ramón Laureano, who entered the postseason as the team’s hottest bat. His right-handed presence could have helped against the lefty-heavy approach of Cubs manager Craig Counsell. Even so, San Diego still had enough star power and opportunities to win the series — they simply didn’t capitalize. 

On the other side, you couldn’t have asked for a better performance from the pitching staff. 

From the starters, Nick Pivetta was lights out outside of two pitches, and Dylan Cease was overpowering in Game 2.

But Game 3 unraveled quickly when Yu Darvish lasted just one inning. He exited with the bases loaded and no outs, leaving Jeremiah Estrada to clean up the mess. The Cubs struck twice in that inning and never looked back.

The bullpen, long the team’s greatest strength, once again delivered. Across the three games, Padres relievers threw 16.1 innings and allowed just two earned runs.

Individually, there were some standout performances worth noting.

We didn’t see Mason Miller in Game 3, but his earlier outings were electric — he faced nine batters and struck out eight, with the lone blemish being a hit-by-pitch. And to top it off, he threw what may be the best pitch of all time to Carson Kelly.

Adrián Morejón also turned in a stellar series, pitching in all three games without allowing a run. Robert Suárez largely held his own as well, giving up just a single run across his appearances.

The bullpen was the glue that kept the Padres in this series, but their dominance ultimately went to waste. Without an offense capable of providing a lead, the relievers were mostly limited to damage control rather than protecting advantages.

Some managerial decisions raised eyebrows. Chief among them was Mike Shildt’s choice to start Darvish in Game 3 over Michael King. None of the starters had worked deep into games, and King arguably gave San Diego a better chance to win an elimination matchup.

What It Means Moving Forward

This postseason exit crystallized the Padres’ biggest problem: too much weight placed on too few stars. When Tatis, Machado, and Arráez went quiet, the rest of the lineup lacked the depth or consistency to pick up the slack.

It also raised questions about the team’s offensive construction. The string of left-handed bats in the middle of the order offered little balance, making San Diego easier to game plan against in a short series. Addressing lineup depth and finding hitters who can grind out at-bats in big spots should be an offseason priority.

Another wrinkle was their deadline, where Preller mortgaged the team’s future to build a roster capable of playing for a World Series. There are more positives than negatives from that deadline. Miller will be on the team for four more years, and Freddie Fermin will be an above-average starter behind the dish for years to come.

The other issue is the number of pending free agents the team has. The list goes: Arráez, Cease, Suárez (player option), King (mutual option), Wandy Peralta (player option), Laureano (club option), Elias Diaz (mutual option), O’Hearn, Jose Iglesias, and Nestor Cortes.

Those are a lot of impact names, and A.J. Preller surely won’t be able to retain all of them. King and Suárez feel essential for the Padres, but both are likely to test the market. Cease and Arráez also carry a strong chance of wearing a different jersey next year.

That leaves major questions for the roster. The rotation will need reinforcements, especially with Darvish nearing the end of his starting career, and the lineup needs more reliable power. One way or another, this team is headed for another makeover before the 2026 season.