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1h ago

Padres Name Nick Pivetta Game 1 Starter as Cubs Weigh Options for NL Wild Card Opener

Oddsmakers see a tight matchup, but several analyses lean Padres on recent form and bullpen strength.

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Overview

  • San Diego opens the best-of-three series at Wrigley Field on Tuesday, Sept. 30, with all games televised on ABC.
  • The Cubs have not announced a Game 1 starter after rookie Cade Horton was placed on the 15-day injured list with a rib fracture, with reports pointing to candidates such as Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon and Colin Rea.
  • Right-hander Nick Pivetta, a February free-agent addition, draws the Game 1 start for the Padres after a 13-5 season with a 2.87 ERA and a team-high 181.2 innings.
  • The Padres enter 90-72 after winning seven of their last 10, while Chicago finished 92-70 following a season-ending sweep to halt a late slump.
  • DraftKings lists a near pick’em for the opener (Padres -105, Cubs -115, total 7.0), and multiple outlets cite San Diego’s bullpen metrics and late-season performance as reasons to back the Padres.