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I can’t believe it’s already October 1st.
Bulls EVP Arturas Karnisovas’ disastrous post-trade-deadline press conference was already 237 days ago.
The Bears introduced Ben Johnson 252 days ago.
Heck — I became a full-time employee at CHGO 365 days ago.
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Advantage: Cubs
In front of a raucous crowd of 39,114 at the Friendly Confines, the Cubs took a 1-0 advantage in a best-of-three against the San Diego Padres thanks to an excellent effort from their pitching staff and team defense.
Perfect In Relief: Matthew Boyd did exactly what he was asked to do by the Cubs, allowing just one run in his first postseason start with the club. But manager Craig Counsell was aggressive with his bullpen, yanking his starter from the game after just 4.1 innings.
It paid off. The Cubs’ bullpen retired the final 14 batters faced in order, not allowing a single baserunner after Boyd’s exit. Daniel Palencia got five outs, striking out two. Drew Pomeranz, Andrew Kittredge and Brad Keller each recorded three outs.
On the bullpen’s stellar performance, Counsell said: “It was perfect today. That's what it was. Let's see, there's 14 outs, and I've talked a lot about them helping each other and how that group is connected, and today was a great example of it. They get their outs and they make their matchups, the right matchups, and so just a brilliant job. Everybody just executed pitches, made pitches. Can't say enough about what they did today.”
1-2 Punch: Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly’s back-to-back home runs in the fifth inning catapulted the Cubs ahead of the Friars.
It was the Cubs’ first set of back-to-back jacks in the postseason since Dexter Fowler followed Miguel Montero’s grand slam with a solo shot in Game 1 of the 2016 NLCS against the Dodgers.
Suzuki has homered in five consecutive games (including the regular season), tying the Cubs’ franchise record held by Michael Busch (2024), Christopher Morel (2023), Sammy Sosa (1998), Ryne Sandberg (1989) and Hack Wilson (1928).
On Suzuki, Counsell said: “Those hits in the postseason just change the stadium. It changes the energy of the stadium completely. It's just about that, and I'm really happy for Seiya. I know he was very, very excited to take part in this and to play in this, and happy he had a big role in it.”
Grand Opening: Andrew Kittredge, who pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning on Tuesday, will start Game 2 for the Cubs today. Shota Imanaga is expected to replace Kittredge.
Why use an opener? To get Imanaga over the hump and past the top of the Padres’ lineup to begin the game.
Imanaga struggled to end the season, allowing 10 home runs and a 6.51 ERA over five starts in September. In 13 starts after the All-Star break, Imanaga has allowed multiple home runs in seven outings, surrendering no homers only twice.
After the win, Cubs radio play-by-play man Pat Hughes remarked, “I’ve been here 30 years, I’ve seen all kinds of crowds at Wrigley — I’ve never seen a better one than this one [Tuesday].”
That’s quite the high mark of praise. After all, it was quite the wait for postseason baseball with fans back at Wrigley Field.
But Hughes was there for Montero’s grand slam in 2016 when the park was “shaking,” according to former Cub and All-Star Ron Coomer. He was there in 2003 for Kerry Wood’s Game 7 home run, too.
Yet yesterday’s crowd still stuck out to the legendary broadcaster. Impressive.
Cubs 3, Padres 1
THE BLIND SIDE: The Bears are expected to make a change at left tackle over their bye week, elevating Theo Benedet to the starting job and demoting Braxton Jones, according to the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs.
Benedet, who received his first career start last Sunday in place of an injured Darnell Wright, replaced Jones on the left side of the line in the second quarter.
INSIDER ANALYSIS: Hoge & Jahns on Benedet, Ozzy Trapilo, fixing the run and more.
SAME AS IT EVER WAS: Manica, the building developer behind the Bears’ stadium project in Arlington Heights, released a couple more renderings of their proposal for the next home of the league’s charter franchise.
Aside from a slightly smaller window wall, the renderings look relatively identical to the ones created when the franchise originally announced its proposed project on the lakefront last year.
PLAYOFF SPIRIT: The Fire are headed back to the MLS Playoffs for the first time since 2017, clinching after a late-match victory over Inter Miami.
Djé D’Avilla (11’), Jonathan Dean (31’), Rominique Kouamé (43’), Justin Pledger Reynolds (80’) and Brian Gutiérrez (83’) all scored in the club’s second-largest offensive output of the year.
They’ll play their final home match on Saturday at Soldier Field against Toronto FC before finishing up the regular season two weeks later against the New England Revolution.
Fire FC 5, Inter Miami 3
HOME ICE: The Blackhawks opened the doors to the United Center for the first time since last April on Tuesday night, hosting their fourth preseason game of a six-game slate.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to write home about in this one. Colton Dach tallied the Blackhawks’ lone goal in the exhibition loss. Goaltender Spencer Knight saved 16 shots on 19 opportunities.
Two more preseason chances left before next Tuesday’s season opener.
Red Wings 3, Blackhawks 1
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10:17 PM • Sep 30, 2025
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