Overview
- Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly opened the fifth with consecutive home runs off Nick Pivetta to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead.
- Chicago’s bullpen retired the final 15 Padres, as Daniel Palencia, Drew Pomeranz, Andrew Kittredge and Brad Keller combined for 4.2 perfect innings.
- Starter Matthew Boyd allowed one run over 4.1 innings before Craig Counsell went to the pen, helped by two key run-saving plays from shortstop Dansby Swanson.
- Pivetta struck out nine over five innings but yielded the two homers; Nico Hoerner added an insurance sacrifice fly in the eighth for the 3-1 margin.
- The win gives the Cubs a 1-0 edge in the best-of-three and marks their first postseason victory since 2017, leaving San Diego in a must-win Game 2.