NewzSAN DIEGO (AP) Pinch-hitter Gavin Sheets blasted a two-run homer, five Padres pitchers combined on a five-hitter, and San Diego swept the Chicago Cubs out of the NL Wild Card Series with a 4-1 victory in Game 2 on Wednesday night.Xander Bogaerts drove in the first run for the surging Padres, who followed up their 8-0 victory in Tuesday's opener with another dominant mound performance. The Cubs led the majors in runs and the NL in homers this year, but they managed just eight hits seven singles over 18 innings against San Diego's inspired staff.Ethan Salas drove in a run while becoming the youngest player to catch a postseason game in major league history for the Padres, whose 19-3 surge since Sept. 5 has them looking like a threat in the NL.One year after the Cubs eliminated the Padres in three tough Wild Card games at Wrigley Field, the Padres reversed the result in two romps before frenzied sellout crowds at Petco Park.With their fifth playoff series victory in the past seven years, the Padres advanced to face the MLB-best Milwaukee Brewers in an NL division series this weekend.Up nextGame 1 of the division series is Saturday in Milwaukee.
The Padres took four of six from the Brewers this season, even sweeping a three-game series at Petco Park in August.___See AP's full MLB coverage here He also got their only extra-base hit of the series with a ninth-inning double off Mason Miller, but the Padres’ vaunted closer calmly finished the save and set off another massive celebration on the field.Probable NL MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong and veteran slugger Alex Bregman struggled mightily atop the Cubs’ lineup in San Diego, going a combined 0 for 15 with a walk and eight strikeouts over these two games. Bregman played just over a week after he was hit in the face with a foul ball.After hitting two homers in the first inning of Game 1, the Padres waited until the second inning of Game 2 to take a 2-0 lead.
Ty France led off with a double off Kevin Gausman and scored on Bogaerts’ single before Salas hit a line-drive flyout to center, scoring Jackson Merrill.Salas, the prized 20-year-old prospect recalled Sept. 1, also became the youngest player to appear in a postseason game for the Padres.Chicago finally scored when Seiya Suzuki singled and eventually came home on Hoerner’s ground ball to center off starter Nick Pivetta. Rookie manager Craig Stammen immediately yanked Pivetta in favor of his intimidating bullpen, and Bradgley Rodríguez escaped a bases-loaded jam.…
SAN DIEGO (KUSI/ FOX 5) -- The San Diego Padres were already making history Wednesday night with Ethan Salas set to become the youngest player to catch in an MLB postseason game at 20 years, 121 days old. While the Padres were making history, could they seal the deal against the Chicago Cubs in Game [...]
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