Padres sweep Cubs, Gavin Sheets’ pinch‑hit homer seals NL Wild Card

sportsOct 1, 202628323

Gavin Sheets hit a pinch-hit two-run homer and the San Diego Padres beat the Chicago Cubs 4-1 to complete a two-game Wild Card sweep and eliminate Chicago from the postseason. Five Padres pitchers combined on a five-hitter, with Mason Miller closing and recording two strikeouts. Xander Bogaerts went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run, and Jackson Merrill also finished 2-for-3 with a run. Sheets' homer came off Daniel Palencia and registered a 100.8 mph pitch; the hit was tracked at 394 feet and 107.5 mph. The victory sends San Diego to the NL Division Series to face the Milwaukee Brewers next.

Meghan Montemurro

@mmontemurro.bsky.social

A disappointing, underwhelming ending for the Cubs. Their season is over, getting swept in the Wild Card by the Padres with tonight's 4-1 loss in Game 2.

525h ago

Julie DiCaro3

OMG, Meghan! I was two pitches behind! Way to ruin the ending!! 😉

EA1

To do list: Overhaul the bullpen. Find some starters that can somehow stay healthy. Re-sign Seiya. Give Happ a front office gig.

Sarah Langs

@slangsonsports.bsky.social

Gavin Sheets off 100.8 mph! That’s the fastest pitch a Padres player has homered off of under tracking (2008 incl post) And 3rd-fastest for HR by anyone in postseason in span, behind: Seiya Suzuki, 101.4 mph, 2025 NLDS Game 5 Jackson Chourio, 101.4 mph, 2025 NLDS Game 2

386h ago

Marie Coronel

@mariecoronelsd.bsky.social

Padres SWEEP 🧹the Cubs to Advance to NLDS with a 4-1 Win in San Diego. Xander Bogaerts 2-3 RBI & Run; Gavin Sheets Pinch Hit 2-Run Homer; Jackson Merrill 2-3, Run; Adrian Morejon 2 Scoreless; Mason Miller Save, 2 Ks. Next Up Milwaukee! #ForTheFaithful #FriaredUp #Postseason

375h ago

⚾️ Patrick 🖤

@starclusterr.bsky.social

welp. so long 2026 cubs. sucks about the entire pitching staff. padres, please go beat the brewers

215h ago

Jordan Bastian

@bastianmlb.bsky.social

Padres 4, Cubs 1 The final book of 2026 ⤵️

205h ago

combinatorialist.bsky.social2

Thanks for all you do.

frannypat.bsky.social1

Can we start talking about Craig Counsell?

Sam Bernero

@sambernero.bsky.social

I am so disappointed our Cubs season is over, but I love you Cubs. Congrats to the Padres and their fans.

145h ago

🖤♡Amanda♡🖤

@zephyrsky.bsky.social

This Padres and Cubs series has been fun. Well, I guess unless you’re a Cubs fan

147h ago

Rob Hanna3

I wanted it to be fun, but this is like the torture scene in Reservoir Dogs.

kat, ghost of helenruthsghost3

Lololol I thought I posted this

Bell1

So we're going to be the only game tomorrow?

Roger Cormier

@themetsnewsletter.com

Clay Holmes never pitched in the NLWCS for the Cubs against the Padres. Tyrone Taylor went 1 for 1 with a single as a pinch hitter. The Mets get to keep Jefferson Rojas anyway.

125h ago

joeflah13.bsky.social2

Can’t hear you over PCA, can you repeat yourself?

Anthony2

I was under the impression that Holmes was acquired to pitch in the post-season for the Cubs this year. It's extremely on brand for them that he only got up to warm up at the very end of the game tonight

Matt From Iowa1

None of the trades that were made at the deadline helped this team make a push for a better playoff position. Also, none of them did anything in the playoffs to put them in a position to win. Really frustrating and the Cubs minor league system is near the bottom now.

Matt Vader1

They traded Owen Caissie, Jefferson Rojas and Moises Ballesteros for pitchers who got a total of four outs in the postseason. Woof.

Sam Lloyd

@llamsoyd.bsky.social

“this is literally 1984“ is often said by people nowadays who look at MLB playoff scores and see the Padres beating the Cubs

137h ago

Brent Maguire

@bmags94.bsky.social

Holy Sheets. Gavin Sheets crushes a 100.8 mph heater from Daniel Palencia to extend the Padres' lead to 4-1.

67h ago

Bleacher Nation

@bleachernation.bsky.social

And it Ends with a Whimper: Padres 4, Cubs 1 — September 30, 2026 https://www.bleachernation.com/cubs/2026/10/01/cubs-padres-ebs-wcg2/

115h ago

DAT251

Whimper still doesn't feel pathetic enough of a descriptor for whatever the hell this was

Peter Wagner (a Real Dr., not a surgeon-barber/body-tech/golfer)1

You cannot judge anything on two games, and the Padres pitching would have swept any of the other WCS teams except the maybe the Yanks (it would probably be 1-1 although possibly two close wins for the Yanks). But as a Cubs and Sox fan, this was painful!

David Medina

@davidmed.bsky.social

Love it Tatis "we gotta do it for Peter" #Padres

105h ago

_Mark 🏳️‍🌈

@marxgbaker.bsky.social

I had already decided that I was going for the winner of Cubs/Padres for the rest of the playoffs, so now I'm fully devoted to Fernando & Co.

65h ago

J.P. Hoornstra

@jphoornstra.bsky.social

Could've used one more Padres-Cubs game, just to hear more from Clayton Kershaw. Before the ninth inning ended, he shared something Greg Maddux shared with him when the two were (briefly) teammates in L.A.: “Whatever you throw 2-2, you have to have the confidence to throw it 3-2.”

85h ago

Dan Mason

@learnbaseball.bsky.social

That is a pinch hitting instructional video by Gavin Sheets. Taking 100 out of the yard stepping up cold off the bench? Most impressive. #Padres #MLB #ForTheFaithful

46h ago

2 sources

apnews.comGavin Sheets' pinch-hit homer propels dominant Padres past Cubs 4-1 for 2-game Wild Card sweep shorturl.atGavin Sheets' pinch-hit homer propels dominant Padres past Cubs 4-1 for 2-game Wild Card sweep

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Padres sweep Cubs, Gavin Sheets’ pinch‑hit homer seals NL Wild Card

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