Michael Busch homered to cap a three-hit performance, helping the host Chicago Cubs advance to the National League Division Series with a 3-1 win over the San Diego Padres on Thursday.
Chicago secured a 2-1 victory in the best-of-three NL wild-card series, paving the way for a matchup against the top-seeded Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS. Game 1 of the best-of-five series is set for Saturday in Milwaukee.
Pete Crow-Armstrong delivered an RBI single in the second inning to highlight his own three-hit outing.
Dansby Swanson worked a bases-loaded walk later in the second and turned in several stellar defensive plays for the Cubs, who rebounded from a 3-0 setback on Wednesday.
“Takes me back to my childhood,” Swanson said on ESPN. “I love this game, I love to compete. I love my teammates. It’s an incredible group of men and I couldn’t be more proud to be here.”
Chicago had 13 hits Thursday after totaling just 10 in the previous two games.
Daniel Palencia allowed two hits in 1 1/3 scoreless innings to pick up his second win of the series. He struck out two batters without surrendering a hit in 1 2/3 scoreless innings in the Cubs’ 3-1 victory in Game 1 on Tuesday.
Drew Pomeranz retired all three batters he faced in the seventh inning and Brad Keller worked the eighth before allowing a lead-off homer to Jackson Merrill in the ninth. Keller rebounded to strike out Xander Bogaerts on a controversial 3-2 pitch before hitting both Ryan O’Hearn and Bryce Johnson with a pitch.
Andrew Kittredge, working on his third straight day, induced Jake Cronenworth to ground out and Freddy Fermin to fly out to secure the save.
“I’m just so proud of everybody,” Chicago manager Craig Counsell said to Marquee Sports Network while getting doused in the locker room. “We played really good defense. Jameson Taillon was brilliant. He put the game together with four innings and 14 hitters, that was brilliant. It takes the whole group down there, it took the whole group all year and it took the whole group tonight.”
Padres manager Mike Shildt said of the called third strike on Bogaerts, “Looked down to me, but I don’t see great and I’m kinda far away. Most importantly, Bogey felt like it was down, and he’s not a guy that’s overly dramatic about close pitches. It’s a big pitch, it’s a big swing pitch. And what unfolded after that could’ve been very impactful, but we had other opportunities, too.”
Busch deposited a 2-2 fastball from Robert Suarez over the wall in right- center field to lead off the seventh inning and stake Chicago to a 3-0 lead.
The Cubs seized a 2-0 lead after their first five batters reached base in the second inning.
Kyle Tucker singled and advanced to third on Seiya Suzuki’s double to left field. Carson Kelly was hit by a pitch from Yu Darvish to load the bases before Crow-Armstrong’s RBI single plated Tucker with the game’s first run. Darvish departed in favor of fellow former Cubs pitcher Jeremiah Estrada, who promptly walked Swanson on seven pitches with the bases loaded.
Darvish permitted two runs on four hits in one-plus inning.
“Basically didn’t get it done as a wrap-up point,” Shildt said. “There’s a lot of hurt guys in that clubhouse. But we left it all out on the field and there’s no regrets on anybody’s part. It’s just disappointing.”
Cubs use 6 pitchers to shut down Padres, earn NLDS berth
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Cubs use 6 pitchers to shut down Padres, earn NLDS berth
Alcaraz defeats Rublev to reach Qatar Open final against Fils
- The Spaniard will face France’s Arthur Fils in Saturday’s final
- Russian Rublev fought back from 3-0 down to level the second set and then saved five match points
DOHA: World number one Carlos Alcaraz continued his unbeaten run in 2026 as he beat defending champion Andrey Rublev 7-6(3) 6-4 on Friday to reach the Qatar Open final, reaching the 12th summit clash in his last 13 tournaments.
The Spaniard will face France’s Arthur Fils in Saturday’s final after the 21-year-old beat Czech Jakub Mensik 6-4 7-6(4) in the second semifinal.
Russian Rublev fought back from 3-0 down to level the second set and then saved five match points, but Alcaraz ultimately prevailed to win his 11th straight match of the season.
“I know what I’m able to do every time that I step on court. For me it’s great. Obviously, the way I’m approaching every match, I’m just really proud about it,” said 22-year-old Alcaraz, who has been a finalist at the last four Grand Slams, winning three of them.
“It’s paying off, all the focus and attention. I’m just happy and proud about myself with how I’m getting better and getting mature I guess.”
Rublev made 14 unforced backhand errors in the first set, but outwitted Alcaraz with precise forehands that nicked the baseline as both players broke the other twice each to go into a tiebreak.
Alcaraz held his nerve to go 6-3 up in the tiebreak as a frustrated Rublev repeatedly smashed the racket on his left knee, breaking a string. Seven-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz then pretended to slice but landed a forehand down the sideline to win the first set.
Alcaraz broke Rublev twice to go 5-3 up in the second set and was serving for the match when the world number 14 saved three match points to break back.
But Alcaraz pushed to break again for victory in the next game, and finally converted his sixth match point when Rublev’s backhand landed wide.
Fils reached his fifth career final with a commanding victory over world number 16 Mensik in just over 90 minutes. The Frenchman — who suffered a lower back stress fracture during the 2025 French Open that led to eight months out of the game — committed fewer unforced errors in an otherwise even match, while saving seven of eight break points and converting two of five.
“Eight months without playing, watching others and staying in bed. It was a long and difficult ordeal. But today, the comeback is all the more sweet. It means a lot to me to be in the final,” said Fils.
