Inside The Cubs

0 For 7 At The Plate, Cubs Star's Struggles Continued In Series vs Padres

Despite winning the series against the San Diego Padres, veteran second baseman Ian Happ and rookie third baseman Matt Shaw did not hit during the three-game series for the Chicago Cubs.
Scott Conrad|
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The Chicago Cubs took two of three from the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field.

The fourth seed in the National League utilized home-field advantage over the lower-ranked Padres and the win means they are now one step closer to the World Series.

A 3-0 shutout in Game 2 against San Diego put Chicago in a must-win situation on Thursday. The Cubs whiffed 11 different times on a strike three, failing to score a run against the Padres.

Matt Shaw
Matt Marton-Imagn Images

As Chicago scored six runs in the other two games, multiple players contributed on offense. Outfielder Seiya Suzuki and catcher Carson Kelly went deep in the series opener. Dansby Swanson, Michael Busch, and Pete Crow-Armstrong all recorded RBIs during Thursday's close-out game.

However, third baseman Matt Shaw struggled at the plate at Wrigley Field in the series against the Padres.

Just how bad was Shaw at the plate for the Cubs?

Chicago's third baseman was the only player in the lineup to not get a third at bat in the series opener against San Diego. Five different members of the Cubs recorded a hit, including second baseman Nico Hoerner with two in the game.

Shaw not only struck out twice in Game 1, but he also whiffed three more times in Game 3. Despite Chicago striking out 11 other times in Game 1 against the Padres, the Cubs still won 3-1.

In Game 2, after going 0-for-2 again, Cubs manager Craig Counsell elected to bench Shaw and go with Moises Ballesteros in his place.

In his first ever playoff series & first for the Chicago Cubs since 2020, Matt Shaw has whiffed five times in seven at bats.
Sep 27, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw (6) runs back to the dugout during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

During the decisive Game 3 for Chicago, Shaw went without a hit for the third game in a row. The Cubs third baseman had a .226 batting average during the regular season. He also hit 13 home runs and brought in 44 runs.

MORE: MLB Sets Cubs vs Brewers Times & TV For First Two NLDS Games In Milwaukee

Shaw hasn't been the most consistent hitter for Chicago as of late. However, he did have three multi-hit games during September. The third baseman finished the 2025 MLB regular season with 89 hits.

The 23-year-old athlete had a nine-game hit streak in July and recorded a hit in 12 of 13 games from mid-July to August 1. The Cubs will surely need that level of production from Shaw heading into the next round of the MLB Playoffs.

In the first playoff appearance since 2020, the Cubs advance to the NL Division Series to face the Milwaukee Brewers. The two NL Central foes will battle for a chance to face the winner of the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Championship Series.

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Scott Conrad
SCOTT CONRAD

Scott Conrad is a Beat Writer for Chicago Cubs On SI, part of the Sports Illustrated Network. He is also a Contributor for the Chicago Sky and Washington Wizards On SI as well as Niner Noise and The View from Avalon on FanSided. Scott grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, primarily Lombard and Naperville, Illinois, and attended Cubs games regularly when he attended Neuqua Valley High School. He graduated from Ball State University with a degree in advertising. His passion to be a sports journalist started in middle school. In 2015 & 2016, Scott was a Correspondent for the Tampa Bay Times covering high school football games. He is also a youth volleyball coach and a two-time published author.

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