CHICAGO – It's probably too much to say that the Chicago Cubs ' bullpen has been maligned this season, but there's no doubt their recent level of performance constitutes an improvement over 2025 taken in bulk. That was acutely obvious during the Cubs' 3-1 win ( box score ) over the San Diego Padres in Tuesday's National League Wild Card Series opener.

The first tell that the Cubs' bullpen is now a weapon rather than a shortcoming came in the top of the fifth. Chicago starter Matthew Boyd had just faced his 18th batter of the game and yielded a single, which meant he was about to get into the Padres' lineup for the third time in the game. Managers in the playoffs who have a strong and deep relief corps are typically loath to allow their non-ace starting pitchers to face the opposi

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