Seiya Suzuki’s 424-foot tying homer off Nick Pivetta jolted the Cubs, followed by Carson Kelly’s go-ahead blast as Chicago grabbed control in a 3-1 win in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card. Matthew Boyd steadied the Cubs after an early Padres threat, and Nico Hoerner added insurance in the eighth before Brad Keller closed it out. San Diego couldn’t capitalize on early chances, leaving Chicago with momentum heading into the series.

The late surge capped Suzuki’s four-game homer arc to finish the regular season and carried into postseason power, while Swanson’s defense and Hoerner’s timely hit underscored Chicago’s depth. For fantasy, the Cubs’ offense looks primed to ride its balance, while San Diego must regroup quickly to avoid a quick exit in a pivotal rematch.

Luis Arraez stitched together a 3-for-4 night, driving in the game’s lone run as San Diego opened the four-game set with a 2-0 win over Colorado. Freddy Fermin added an RBI-single in the third, and Jackson Merrill delivered a late insurance shot to boost the Padres’ offense. Randy Vasquez spun six scoreless innings with nine strikeouts, and the bullpen closed it out behind a clean seventh through ninth. A solid all-around performance gives San Diego momentum in the series.

Milwaukee clipped Toronto 4-1 as Jackson Chourio and Christian Yelich clocked back-to-back homers in the ninth, capping a late rally that buried the Blue Jays’ bullpen. Milwaukee’s offense kept chipping away, with Sal Frelick’s groundout setting up Yelich’s tie in the seventh and Isaac Collins driving in a decisive insurance run. Quinn Priester spun six solid innings, and the Brewers’ bullpen tandem—Ashby and Uribe—finished the job after Chourio and Yelich connected. Gausman pitched seven strong for Toronto, but the Jays bullpen faltered late, allowing three ninth-inning runs. The Brewers’ growth at the plate has them cruising atop the NL, while the Blue Jays must regroup after a division-clinching stretch of bullpen woes.

Chourio’s prodigy-level impact returned from the IL with a bang, nearly homering in the first before a spectacular rob by Straw cooled the moment. The two Brewers stars provided the power late, while Milwaukee’s relentless approach—gradual pressure, opportunistic baserunning, and timely hits—proved persistent against Toronto’s defense and relievers. Toronto’s offense had seven strong innings from Gausman but couldn’t support the bullpen’s late collapse, keeping Milwaukee in command of their series in Toronto and reaffirming their identity as a pesky, disciplined offense.