With an opportunity for a series win on the line, the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres battled in the series' rubber match on Wednesday. Despite opportunities for the Cubs, too many free passes for the Padres resulted in the Cubs' first series loss since their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Tokyo.
The Cubs lost 4-2 to the Padres on Wednesday. They were in it the whole way. The Cubs owned a 1-0 lead at one point, and never trailed by more than two runs. However, the offense couldn't get it done and the Cubs dropped their first three-game set of 2025.
There were some glaring storylines in this one, let's get into those now.
First Series Loss of Season
For the first time in 2025, the Cubs have dropped a three-game set. Unfortunately, pointing to the bullpen is the easy reaction after these two losses, but we'll save a little bit of that for later.
Regardless, its pretty impressive that the Cubs' first three-game series loss comes on April 16. Sure, a 12-9 record could be better if not for, what, four blown games? Nonetheless, the Cubs still sit atop the NL Central... for now.
Oh, and shoutout to Pete Crow-Armstrong for keeping the hitting train going. Three home runs on the west coast trip is one way to get the power going.
Matthew Boyd Battled
Despite a bit of a dirty stat line, Matthew Boyd battled in his start on Wednesday. The offseason addition was able to avoid trouble on multiple occasions and, despite letting up two earned runs, kept the Cubs in the game.
At the end of the day, Boyd pitched 5.1 innings, allowing six hits, two walks, and two runs. However, given the state of the rotation, Boyd's efforts continued to be appreciated. He left the game down 2-1, giving the Cubs something to work with. But, that wasn't the case and no one was able to pick him up.
The Bullpen is Still... Something?
The bullpen is... something, as noted. However, Wednesday's game was a tail of two sides. On the negative side, Luke Little was incredibly wild, walking four batters, with one run crossing the plate along the way. On the other hand, Daniel Palencia was a bright spot despite giving up a run.
Is Palencia in the harrowed circle of trust? Maybe not yet. That said, pumping 100 mph consistently and pitching 1.2 innings along the way is huge. The flame thrower benefited from a rough start to the season for Nate Pearson and an injury to Eli Morgan. Perhaps he can keep it going and continue building on what he did on Wednesday?
Luke Little needs to figure it out with his command. A problem that plagued the huge lefty a season ago, it appears not much has changed. Another arm receiving an opportunity due to underperformance and injury, he needs to turn it around in order to avoid a bus trip back to Des Moines.
Cubs are Allergic to Bases Loaded, No Outs
Achoooo! Do you hear that? That's the Cubs' allergies kicking in, specifically to bases-loaded, no-out situations. The Cubs had bases loaded with no one out on Wednesday, looking to strike first. They did thanks to a Kyle Tucker sacrifice fly, but a Seiya Suzuki double play ended the chance. Ideally, Suzuki isn't still feeling the effects of his wrist injury. However, given some weak swings and bad swing finishes, it begs for concern.
Perhaps this team will figure out how to take full advantage of situations like the one mentioned above. Thankfully this team can hit with two outs, but hitting with no outs is arguably just as, if not more, important.
What's On Tap Next?
The Cubs are off on Thursday as they return to the Friendly Confines for a three-game set. The Arizona Diamondbacks come to town, marking the second series between these two teams in the first three-plus weeks of the season. Friday's tilt begins at 1:20 p.m. CT and will feature Corbin Burnes for the Diamondbacks. As of Wednesday, the Cubs' starter has yet to be named.
