Postseason baseball is sliding into San Diego for a 10:00 PM EDT first pitch at Petco Park, exclusive to Peacock viewers who enjoy sleep deprivation with a side of coastal fog. The Padres built themselves a cozy 51-30 home fort this year, which is bad news for a Chicago club trying to haul its 89-73 record down the West Coast. The Cubs did manage to smash 850 runs this season, but trying to light up a scoreboard in idyllic Gaslamp Quarter humidity is usually where dynamic offenses go to take a quiet nap.
Chicago holds the higher team batting average at .251 over San Diego’s .244, but the Padres edge the pitching battle with a 3.99 team ERA against the Cubs' 4.12. The Visitors' depth chart is also missing some operational pieces, as starter Edward Cabrera remains on the bereavement list and reliever Trent Thornton is sidelined on the 15-day IL. San Diego's staff has held the opposition to a stingy .242 batting average all year, so Chicago better bring more than polite Midwestern optimism to the batter's box. Lock in your picks and drop your best late-night hot takes over on StreakChat.