Bullpen dominates, Machado provides the pop as Padres shutout Cubs ahead of key Game 3

const iframe document getElementById newspack-iframe-vsAYNCjGJxbG const timerId setInterval function iframe src iframe src iframe onload function clearInterval timerId Manny Machado hit a two-run homer and Mason Miller dominated again as the Padres beat the Cubs - Wednesday sending their Wild Card Series to a decisive third challenge Jackson Merrill hit an early sacrifice fly as San Diego avoided elimination after losing - on Tuesday Dylan Cease struck out five in innings before handing the ball to his group s hard-throwing bullpen That s what postseason is about man Machado mentioned It s a beautiful thing to be playing here in front of these crowds and with what s at stake Manny Machado reacts after hitting a two-run home run during the fifth inning of Event of the Friars National League wild card meeting Wednesday Oct in Chicago Photo by Erin Hooley AP The finale of the best-of-three series is back at Wrigley Field at noon Thursday but local fans can head to the Gallagher Square watch party at Petco Park Tickets are to view the series finale on the big screen The playoff-tested Padres are looking for a repeat of when they dropped Meeting in the pandemic wild-card round before advancing with two straight victories against St Louis Machado also homered in Competition of that series There s still a lot at stake just like there was in contemporary times Machado announced Our backs are still up against the wall so go out there and try and play our best baseball for the next outs Chicago finished with four hits and manager Craig Counsell announced entirely we didn t do enough offensively in the present day I think the first two games is really what you expected in this series and I think on the morrow will be a lot of the same Cubs manager Craig Counsell commented San Diego jumped in front on Merrill s flyball to right off Andrew Kittredge in the first driving in Fernando Tatis Jr Kittredge started for Chicago as an opener and the right-hander was replaced by left-hander Shota Imanaga in the second The Cubs threatened in the fourth putting runners on first and second with two down Adrian Morejon then retired Pete Crow-Armstrong on a bouncer to first Adrian came in and was just outstanding really fantastic Padres manager Mike Shildt commented The Friars added two more runs on Machado s -foot drive to left off Imanaga in the fifth Tatis who had reached on a leadoff walk and advanced on a sacrifice turned around to watch as Machado s th career playoff homer flew out of the park The right-fielder known for his spirit on the field kept watching raising his arms and hop-skipping to third on his way home The homer he announced gave the Padres breathing room MPH Mason Miller is bringing the heat pitching on back-to-back days Postseason pic twitter com S TyC G iB MLB MLB October In the playoffs a three-run lead is like an eight-run lead in the regular season Tatis commented The three runs were more than enough for San Diego s bullpen with Miller and Robert Suarez combining for pitches of over mph Morejon pitched perfect innings before Miller indicated off his electric stuff while striking out five consecutive batters The -foot- right-hander reached mph on a called third strike to Carson Kelly in the seventh that was the fastest pitch in the postseason since Statcast started tracking in Miller who was acquired in a commerce with the Athletics on July struck out the side in the seventh in his postseason debut The eight straight Ks tied the postseason record set by Josh Hader in Commanding has been a big part of these last two games for me and the slider being effective as well Miller stated The Padres pulled him though after he hit Michael Busch with a slider with two outs in the eighth Suarez retired Nico Hoerner on a liner to right before working a one-hit ninth for the save Yu Darvish gets the ball for San Diego on Thursday facing Jameson Taillon Darvish played for the Cubs for three seasons before he was traded to the Padres in December The right-hander commented he enjoys pitching at Wrigley Yeah this place did me good he declared through a translator The organization the fans did me good too