Our Chicago Cubs vs San Diego Padres preview covers the odds, run line, total, probable pitchers, first pitch time, TV channel and where to watch for Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. The No. 5-seeded Chicago Cubs (89-73) and the No. 4-seeded San Diego Padres (91-71) meet again at Petco Park in San Diego, Calif., and the Padres lead the best-of-three series 1-0 after Game 1. First pitch is 10:00 PM ET (7:00 PM PT). TV: Peacock / NBCSN.
Wild Card storyline: San Diego won Tuesday’s opener 8-0 behind seven scoreless one-hit innings from Michael King and three home runs, and leads the best-of-three series 1-0. A Padres win on Wednesday clinches the series and sends San Diego to the NLDS against the No. 1-seeded Milwaukee Brewers. A Cubs win evens the series 1-1 and forces a winner-take-all Game 3 on Thursday, Oct. 1. The Cubs’ probable pitcher is TBD (not yet announced; the MLB Stats API lists no probable), and Nick Pivetta (3-2, 2.86) is the probable for the Padres. Game 2 odds (moneyline, run line and total) had not yet been posted by DraftKings via ESPN at the time of writing; check your sportsbook for the current numbers.
Chicago Cubs vs San Diego Padres Odds, Run Line & Game Info
| Matchup | Chicago Cubs @ San Diego Padres |
|---|---|
| Series | NL Wild Card Series, Game 2 (best-of-three, all games at Petco Park) |
| Series Score | Padres lead 1-0 (Game 1: Padres 8, Cubs 0) |
| Seeds | Chicago Cubs No. 5 | San Diego Padres No. 4 (NL) |
| 2026 Records | Chicago Cubs 89-73 | San Diego Padres 91-71 |
| Run Line | Not yet posted |
| Moneyline | Chicago Cubs: Not yet posted | San Diego Padres: Not yet posted |
| Total | Not yet posted |
| Venue | Petco Park (San Diego, Calif.) |
| Date / Time | Wednesday, September 30, 2026 — 10:00 PM ET |
| TV / How to Watch | Peacock / NBCSN |
| Probable Pitchers | Chicago Cubs: TBD | San Diego Padres: Nick Pivetta (3-2, 2.86) |
| Managers | Chicago Cubs: Craig Counsell | San Diego Padres: Craig Stammen |
| 2026 Season Series | Cubs won the 2026 season series 5-1 |
Game 2 odds were not yet posted by DraftKings (through ESPN) as of Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, ~9:55 PM PT. Check your sportsbook for the moneyline, run line and total once they are released.
Cubs vs Padres Wild Card Series Context
Series status: The Padres lead the best-of-three NL Wild Card Series 1-0. A Padres win on Wednesday clinches the series and sends San Diego to the NLDS against the No. 1-seeded Milwaukee Brewers. A Cubs win evens the series 1-1 and forces a winner-take-all Game 3 at Petco Park on Thursday, Oct. 1 (time TBD, to be set Wednesday). All games are at Petco Park, home of the higher-seeded Padres.
Game 1 recap (Padres 8, Cubs 0): Fernando Tatis Jr. led off the bottom of the first with a homer off Matthew Boyd, and Manny Machado added a solo shot two batters later. Machado doubled home Tatis in the third, and Xander Bogaerts homered in the fourth for a 4-0 lead. San Diego scored three more in the fifth on Jackson Merrill’s two-run single off Ryan Rolison and a passed ball, and Tatis scored on an error in the seventh. Michael King (1-0) threw seven scoreless innings, allowing one hit and three walks with eight strikeouts on 97 pitches, and Yuki Matsui and Joe Musgrove finished the combined three-hitter. Boyd (0-1) allowed four runs on five hits, including three homers, in four innings (1 BB, 4 K). Tatis went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and a stolen base, Machado went 2-for-3 with a homer, a double and two RBIs, and Nico Hoerner had two of Chicago’s three hits (MLB Stats API box score).
Head-to-head: Chicago went 5-1 against San Diego in the 2026 regular season, taking two of three at Petco Park in late April and sweeping three at Wrigley Field from June 29 to July 1. The Cubs outscored the Padres 55-28 in those six games, a total skewed by a 23-3 win on July 1 (MLB.com).
Postseason history: This is the third postseason meeting between the clubs and their second straight in the Wild Card Series. The Cubs won last year’s series at Wrigley Field 2-1, and the Padres won the 1984 NLCS (MLB.com, NBC Sports).
Chicago Cubs Preview: Wild Card Game 2
Season in review: Craig Counsell’s Cubs finished 89-73, second in the NL Central and 14 games behind Milwaukee, and went 43-38 on the road. Chicago scored an NL-high 850 runs and allowed 703. The team hit .251 with a .767 OPS and 220 homers and posted a 4.12 ERA (MLB Stats API). The Cubs set Statcast-era records for Fielding Run Value (+70) and Outs Above Average (+72) (MLB.com).
Key players: Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong hit 45 home runs with 107 RBIs and 41 stolen bases (NBC Sports), becoming the seventh member of the 40-40 club (MLB.com). Alex Bregman is playing through multiple fractures in his left cheek area and has been used at DH, with Pedro Ramírez at third base (MLB.com).
Game 2 situation: The Cubs face elimination after being held to three hits in Game 1. Five Chicago pitchers worked Tuesday: Boyd (58 pitches), Javier Assad (18), Rolison (16), Aaron Civale (24) and Jacob Webb (16) (MLB Stats API box score).
Game 2 starter: The Cubs had not announced a Game 2 starter as of Tuesday night, and the MLB Stats API lists Chicago’s probable as TBD. Counsell appeared to point toward Kevin Gausman (Bleacher Nation), who has been monitored for soreness in his non-throwing (left) shoulder (MLB.com). On Monday, Counsell said Gausman “is gonna pitch this series” (ESPN). Clay Holmes, Shota Imanaga and David Peterson are the other rotation options on the roster (MLB.com, Bleacher Nation).
Injuries: Edward Cabrera (bereavement list) is not active for the Wild Card Series (MLB.com). ESPN lists Trent Thornton (ankle, 15-day IL), Phil Maton (knee), Hunter Harvey (triceps fracture) and Tyler Austin (knee surgery), the last three on the 60-day IL.
San Diego Padres Preview: Wild Card Game 2
Season in review: Craig Stammen’s Padres finished 91-71, second in the NL West and nine games behind the Dodgers. They went 51-30 at Petco Park and 18-6 in September (MLB Stats API, Bleacher Nation). San Diego scored 722 runs and allowed 681. The team hit .244 with a .717 OPS, posted a 3.99 ERA and stole 164 bases (MLB Stats API).
Key players: Manny Machado led the team with 30 home runs, and Fernando Tatis Jr. ranked third in MLB with 181 hits and hit 20 of his 25 homers after the All-Star break (NBC Sports, MLB.com). Mason Miller closes, with Adrian Morejon, Yuki Matsui, Bradgley Rodriguez and Jason Adam in the late-inning mix (MLB.com). Robbie Ray or Walker Buehler would start a Game 3 (MLB.com).
Game 1 bullpen: King’s seven innings meant San Diego used only Matsui (11 pitches) and Musgrove (22), who pitched in a game for the first time since the 2024 playoffs after Tommy John surgery (MLB Stats API, Times of San Diego). Miller, Morejon and Rodriguez did not pitch.
Injuries: Casey Mize (right ankle sprain), Lucas Giolito (right elbow inflammation) and reliever Jeremiah Estrada (right shoulder) are on the IL and unavailable (MLB.com). ESPN also lists Rodolfo Durán (forearm, 60-day IL). Miguel Andujar is on the Wild Card roster as a bench option (MLB.com, Bleacher Nation).
Starting Pitchers: Cubs TBD vs Nick Pivetta
Cubs: TBD. Chicago had not named a Game 2 starter as of Tuesday night, and the MLB Stats API lists the Cubs’ probable as TBD. Kevin Gausman (9-12, 4.51 ERA overall this season) was reported as the likely choice (Bleacher Nation, MLB.com). Check back for the official announcement.
Padres: Nick Pivetta (RHP, 3-2, 2.86 ERA) — 8 starts, 34.2 IP, 42 strikeouts, 8 walks, 1.01 WHIP (MLB Stats API). Pivetta missed about five months with a flexor strain and returned Sept. 7. In four starts since, he allowed three earned runs over 18 2/3 innings with 17 strikeouts and two walks, including 4 2/3 scoreless innings at Dodger Stadium on Sept. 24. He did not face the Cubs in the 2026 regular season (MLB Stats API, MLB.com).
Key Matchup Notes: Cubs vs Padres Game 2
- Series math: Padres lead 1-0. San Diego clinches with a win; a Chicago win forces Game 3 on Thursday.
- Cubs starter: TBD as of Tuesday night. Kevin Gausman was reported as the likely choice, and Clay Holmes, Shota Imanaga and David Peterson are also on the roster (MLB Stats API, Bleacher Nation, ESPN).
- Pivetta since his return: 2.00 ERA (3 ER in 18.2 IP) with 17 strikeouts and two walks in four September starts (MLB Stats API).
- Padres power: San Diego hit three home runs off Boyd in Game 1 (Tatis, Machado and Bogaerts). Tatis hit 20 of his 25 regular-season homers after the All-Star break (MLB.com).
- Rested back end: Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon and Bradgley Rodriguez did not pitch in Game 1 (MLB Stats API box score).
How to Watch Chicago Cubs vs San Diego Padres – Wild Card Game 2
Date: Wednesday, September 30, 2026
First pitch: 10:00 PM ET (7:00 PM PT)
Venue: Petco Park, San Diego, Calif.
TV / Streaming: Peacock and NBCSN (Dave Flemming with Jim Deshaies and Mark Grant, reporter John Fanta; Clayton Kershaw on “Inside the Pitch”). SAP on Peacock. ESPN Radio has national radio coverage. Ahmed Fareed, CC Sabathia and Eric Hosmer host the postgame show on Peacock and NBCSN.
Game 3, if necessary, is Thursday, Oct. 1 at Petco Park, with the time to be set on Wednesday (NBC Sports). Check the run line, moneyline and total above against your sportsbook before the September 30, 2026 first pitch, and look for official lineups closer to game time.