Padres to Face Surprise Starting Pitcher in Wild Card Game 2 vs Cubs

Sep 10, 2025; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Andrew Kittredge (59) and catcher Carson Kelly (15) react after defeating the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The San Diego Padres dropped the first game of their Wild Card series against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday.

The Friars will face a surprise starting pitcher on Wednesday as the Cubs are opening the game with right-handed reliever Andrew Kittredge. He has yet to start a game this season and has only done so 15 times during his nine-year MLB career.

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Andrew Kittredge will open the game for the Cubs in Game 2.

— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) September 30, 2025

Kittredge threw one strikeout over his one scoreless frame against the Padres during his relief appearance on Tuesday.

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune's Jeff Sanders, it is assumed that southpaw Shota Imanaga will enter the game after Kittredge gets through the run of righties in the beginning.

Probably a good bet that LHP Shota Imanaga will be ready for that lefty pocket that the #Padres are stuck with without Ramon Laureano available. https://t.co/WZO8AKazoR

— Jeff Sanders (@sdutSanders) September 30, 2025

During the regular season, Kittredge posted a 3.40 ERA through his 54 appearances. Kittredge was acquired by the Cubs at the trade deadline via a deal with the Baltimore Orioles.

Imanaga has had a slightly higher regular season ERA than his 2024 rookie campaign, but finished with a 3.73 mark across his 25 starts. After posting the highest strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.2) in the National League last season, Imanaga also saw less production there, finishing with a 4.5 ratio.

In fact, the entire second half of the season hasn't been kind to Imanaga. After posting a 2.65 ERA before the All-Star break, the southpaw had a 4.70 ERA in his 13 second-half starts. Imanaga has also proven to have his worst production in the first inning this season, allowing a 7.20 ERA in the first frame.

No other inning has an ERA over 3.77 (which is the sixth) for Imanaga as he will look to take over after the lethal top of the Padres order.

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The Padres kept things close in Game 1, but close will never cut it in the postseason. San Diego drew first blood on Tuesday thanks to a Xander Bogaerts RBI double in the second inning to bring Jackson Merrill home.

Right-hander Nick Pivetta tossed nine strikeouts over five innings and allowed three hits, but two of them proved costly.

A pair of home runs off of Pivetta in the fifth inning would prove too much for the Friars to overcome, while a sacrifice fly off Jeremiah Estrada in the eighth essentially sealed the deal.

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