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MLB Wild Card Series Game 1 preview: Chicago Cubs vs. San Diego Padres, Tuesday 9/29, 9 p.m. CT

The opening matchup of the Wild Card round features the Chicago Cubs visiting the San Diego Padres for a Tuesday evening contest. Pre-game notes highlight that historical playoff statistics heavily favor the winner of the initial game in a best-of-three series, giving a significant advantage to whichever squad secures the early edge.

On the pitching side, Matthew Boyd takes the mound for Chicago opposite Michael King for San Diego. Boyd enters with strong recent numbers despite an injury-plagued campaign that included separate bicep and knee ailments, though he previously surrendered home runs to Fernando Tatis Jr.

and Manny Machado during an earlier summer meeting at Wrigley Field.

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