SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Padres eliminated the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night with a 4-1 victory, advancing to the National League Division Series for the fourth time in seven years.
The Padres shut down MLB's highest-scoring team for the second consecutive night. The win extended their 20-6 run and propelled them from the playoff bubble into a wild-card series, where they held home-field advantage.
Chicago had defeated San Diego in last year's wild-card series at Wrigley Field. This year's win at Petco Park reversed that result.
The Cubs' season ended with their MVP candidate failing to record a hit in the series.
Unlike Game 1, the Padres did not lean on their biggest stars. Multiple hitters contributed across the lineup.
San Diego scored first in the second inning. Ty France doubled, Jackson Merrill followed with an infield single, and Xander Bogaerts singled France home for a 1-0 lead.
Ethan Salas then ripped a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Merrill and extending the lead to 2-0. The 20-year-old became the youngest player in MLB history to catch a postseason game. He also made an early challenge behind the plate in the first inning that prevented a walk and led to a strikeout.
The Padres will face Milwaukee, the league's best regular season team, in the National League Division Series beginning Saturday.
