Cubs to Play Padres in NL Wild Card, But Not Before Strange Regular Season Finale

The Chicago Cubs' playoff destiny is sealed.

With the San Diego Padres beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 10-7 on Saturday night, they secured the top NL Wild Card spot. The Padres' victory locked the Cubs into the No. 5 seed, meaning Craig Counsell's team will have to travel out West to face the Padres in a rematch of last year's Wild Card round.

The Cubs have only themselves to blame for missing out on home field advantage. Not only did they drop two of three to the Miami Marlins at the Friendly Confines, but they proceeded to drop both games in Friday's doubleheader against the Red Sox. This created a very narrow path for Chicago to reclaim the top spot, and the Padres have now officially blocked that path.

While returning to the postseason for a second consecutive year is a win in itself, there is no question that losing the first Wild Card seed is a tough pill to swallow. The Cubs saw how valuable hosting the series can be last season, as they used a rowdy Wrigley atmosphere to take down the Padres in a do-or-die Game 3.

With that said, the good news is that the Cubs have fared well against the Padres this season. They won five of their six matchups, which included sweeping them in their most recent meeting. At the same time, the two haven't met since the beginning of July, and the Padres have turned into one of baseball's hottest teams in the second half. The Cubs have been anything but.

How Will Cubs Approach Game 162?

Sep 19, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell (11) walks off the field during a pitching change in the ninth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While there will be plenty to discuss about the Cubs' postseason series, there is still one more regular-season game to play. The Cubs and Red Sox were forced to move that game to Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, due to the nor'easter storm that has slammed the Boston area. When we consider how little the game now means for both teams, it sets up an extremely unusual circumstance.

Indeed, the outcome will not change where the Cubs or the Red Sox play next week, so it's undoubtedly in the best interest of both parties to proceed with caution. Expect to see some pretty wacky lineups, as well as a handful of in-game adjustments. The most fascinating thing to watch, however, will be the pitching. Neither squad will want to burn important arms from the starting rotation or the bullpen.

For the Cubs, could this mean Javier Assad is asked to start and go deep into the game? He threw 2.1 innings of work on September 25, for what it's worth. Colin Rea is another veteran who could make sense, as he is definitely used to eating innings.

Regardless, the lone mission for Craig Counsell will be to keep everyone as healthy as possible heading into Wild Card play on Tuesday. It likely will not make for the most exciting regular-season finale, but the Cubs now have their sights set on far more important games.

Sign up for our free newsletter to stay up-to-date with all things Chicago Cubs.

Add us as a preferred source on Google