Padres' Michael King delivers October masterpiece in Game 1 rout of Cubs

Padres' Michael King delivers October masterpiece in Game 1 rout of Cubs originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

>The San Diego Padres have plenty of recognizable stars.

>Michael King stole the show Tuesday night. King delivered seven scoreless innings as San Diego overwhelmed the Chicago Cubs 8-0 in Game 1 of their National League Wild Card Series.

>He allowed just one hit. King struck out eight, walked three and threw 97 pitches while putting the Padres one victory away from advancing.

King never gives Cubs an openingShort postseason series can turn on one mistake. King barely made any. Chicago couldn't establish anything offensively against the San Diego right-hander, who kept the Cubs scoreless long enough for the Padres lineup to take control.

Fernando Tatis Jr.: 2-for-3, HR, SB, 3 R Manny Machado: 2B, HR, 2 RBI Michael King: 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 8 Ks

The @Padres dominate Game 1!

(MLB x @AbbVie) pic.twitter.com/sPynbBfJwm

— MLB (@MLB) September 30, 2026Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts all homered.

>Tatis scored three times, while Jackson Merrill also contributed a two-run single as San Diego broke open the game.

>It was the kind of complete performance that immediately changes the tone of a best-of-three series. The Padres didn't merely win. They controlled virtually every phase of the opener.

>MORE: Yankees' Cam Schlittler sends message after dominant playoff performance vs. Red Sox

San Diego's stars arrive togetherThat's what should concern Chicago most entering Game 2. San Diego didn't need one superstar to carry the lineup.

>Tatis homered. Machado homered. Bogaerts homered. Merrill delivered with runners aboard. And King prevented the Cubs from creating any meaningful response.

>There was another encouraging development for San Diego, too.

>Joe Musgrove pitched in relief, marking his first major league appearance since the 2024 postseason after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Musgrove helped complete the shutout alongside Yuki Matsui.

>Now comes the difficult part. The Padres must finish the job.

Wild Card Series can change quickly, and Chicago gets another opportunity Wednesday night. But San Diego couldn't have created a better opening statement.

>King dominated. The stars produced. The bullpen finished it. And after an 8-0 victory, the Padres need just one more win to move deeper into October.

MORE MLBLatest MLB news and rumors • >2026 MLB schedule and scores • >How to bet on MLB • >Yankees-Red Sox again, a White Sox shocker and a Dodgers three-peat chase: 10 MLB playoff storylines to watch