The Cubs pitching staff did a pretty good job of holding a strong Padres offense down in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series, allowing just seven hits and three runs.

That’s not good enough when your offense can’t score, though, and the Padres defeated the Cubs 3-0, forcing a decisive Game 3 Thursday.

Andrew Kittredge chwas used as an opener, which I think everyone agrees was the right strategy with Shōta Imanaga coming in to be the “bulk guy.”

Unfortunately, Kittredge allowed hits to the first two Padres hitters, and though he retired the next three, one of those outs was a sacrifice fly by Jackson Merrill that gave the Padres the only run it turned out they would need.

The Cubs couldn’t do much with Dylan Cease, who was removed with two out in the fourth. A one-out single by Nico Hoerner

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