San Diego 1, at Chi. Cubs 3

CHICAGO (Interstat) — In a tightly contested playoff opener defined by dominant pitching and a decisive fifth-inning power surge, the Chicago Cubs defeated the San Diego Padres 3-1 on Tuesday afternoon at a sold-out Wrigley Field. A crowd of 39,114 watched as the Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five National League Division Series. The game, which lasted 2 hours and 25 minutes, was a stark contrast to the high-scoring affair projected by pregame simulations. The Padres struck first in the second inning against Cubs starter Matthew Boyd. Jackson Merrill led off with a double and scored when Xander… Read more...