4 games, 8 teams, and only 4 go through. The MLB postseason is officially here, and we are already done with Day 1 of the Wild Card series. We had some drama on and off the field, and let’s start with the last game of the day.

The Chicago Cubs have a rough night against the Padres

Heading into the game, the San Diego Padres were the most in-form team in MLB. The Padres were coming in with a 41-18 record in the last 59 games. On the other hand, the Cubs had one of the most in-form batters in the league with Pete Crow-Armstrong. But with how Game 1 ended, Craig Counsell has a lot to uncover, especially offensively.

The Cubs’ postseason turned ugly from the very first pitch, and they never found their way back against San Diego. Matthew Boyd’s opening changeup disappeared over the center-field wall after Fernando Tatis Jr. crushed a 405-foot homer. The 47,084 fans at Petco Park erupted, while the Cubs found themselves chasing the game.

Two batters later, Manny Machado added another homer, putting the Cubs behind before they could settle into the game.

That early deficit became harder to overcome as Michael King kept shutting down Chicago’s lineup. The Cubs managed only 3 hits all night, with their first coming after King had retired 19 straight hitters. Craig Counsell knew exactly what the Cubs were facing after falling behind so quickly.

“You never want to play from behind,” Counsell said. “It means you’ve got to score, and we didn’t score.”

What made the quiet offense more noticeable was Pete Crow-Armstrong never finding his usual rhythm. The 24-year-old had just completed a 40-40 season, hitting 45 home runs with 107 RBIs and stealing 41 bases. King struck him out twice, then Crow-Armstrong struck out again against Yuki Matsui in the eighth.

For a player who had carried Chicago’s offense all season, his silence left the Cubs searching for answers.

But the Padres kept adding pressure while Chicago struggled to create anything at the plate. Xander Bogaerts hit another Boyd changeup in the fourth, before Jackson Merrill’s 2-run single opened the fifth. A passed ball made it 7-0, then Tatis scored again after stealing second in the seventh.

By then, Cubs fans were watching an 8-0 game with very little left to cheer.

But the Cubs have another chance on Wednesday, and Petco Park remains their stage. Kevin Gausman starts Game 2, giving Chicago an opportunity to level things. But another slow start could bring the same noise that greeted Tatis’ opening swing. The Cubs need their biggest bats to answer quickly and shut down the crowd before the San Diego crowd eats them up.

Cam Schlittler shut down the Red Sox with a historic outing

It looks like the Padres and the New York Yankees are sailing on the same boat: absolutely shutting down their opponents. And just like the Cubs, the Red Sox were also able to get only 3 hits, thanks to Cam Schlittler and his 117 pitches.

The Yankees had already taken control of Game 1, but Cam Schlittler made sure Boston never found a way back. Schlittler allowed only 2 hits through 6.1 scoreless innings while striking out 10. Schlittler allowed only 2 hits through 6.1 scoreless innings while striking out 10. Ben Rice then added 2 homers and 6 RBIs, including a grand slam in the eighth.

But before the Yankees’ offense broke the game open, Schlittler kept Boston searching for answers. He reached 107 pitches after striking out Adley Rutschman to finish the sixth inning. Aaron Boone sent him back for the seventh, where Schlittler retired Willson Contreras before allowing Wilyer Abreu’s single.

That ended his night at 117 pitches, the most by a Yankees pitcher in postseason play since CC Sabathia in 2012.

What made the outing even more special was where Schlittler landed in postseason history after the dominant start. He now has 2 playoff outings with 10 strikeouts and no runs allowed before turning 26.

Only five other MLB pitchers have matched that mark: Justin Verlander, Sandy Koufax, Randy Johnson, Kevin Brown, and Cliff Lee. Schlittler also lowered his career ERA against the Red Sox to 0.47 across 6 starts.

That dominance against Boston has followed Schlittler since last October, when he threw 8 scoreless innings. This time, his curveball created a problem for Boston hitters who were prepared for his high-90s fastball.

Even Boston manager Chad Tracy admitted, “We weren’t able to do much with him.”

Still, Schlittler knows one dominant night cannot finish what the Yankees started.

After the game, he said, “The job’s not done. We’ve got to get another win tomorrow.” He then explained why October matters so much to him, saying, “If you want to be a legend, which is obviously the goal, you’ve got to do it in the postseason.”

For Schlittler, that path has already begun with 2 historic postseason performances against Boston. And it will only get better.

Astros Express Frustration With Crowd After Loss to White Sox

The White Sox took Game 1 of the MLB Wild Card series with a 6-3 win, leaving the Astros facing elimination. Chicago immediately exposed Houston’s shaky pitching, building a 3-0 lead before the Astros got into the game. Christian Walker’s throwing error opened the door. And Bryan King then allowed two more runs.

Colson Montgomery’s 432-foot homer made the deficit four in the 4th inning, and Houston never recovered.

Houston did look a bit dangerous when Nelson Velázquez launched a two-run homer in the fifth inning. But Chicago answered again, scoring on Bennett Sousa’s wild pitch during the seventh inning. The Astros rallied in the eighth, but Yainer Diaz struck out with the tying run on base.

Those moments showed how often Houston had chances but didn’t take them.

As the mistakes piled up, the sparse Daikin Park crowd made its feelings increasingly clear. Only 34,011 fans attended the 40,963-seat stadium, leaving large sections empty. Boos followed Houston’s struggles, then returned when Sousa lost control in the seventh. With the empty crowd, everything was heard even louder.

Walker understood the frustration, saying, “We need cheers. We need energy. We don’t need boos.”

Sousa felt the same frustration after hearing the crowd react to his seventh-inning mistakes.

“I was pretty pissed off in the dugout when I came in,” Sousa admitted. He believed Houston had earned stronger support after fighting through an injury-plagued season. Still, the Astros’ performance gave those fans very little reason to stay quiet all afternoon.

The Astros reached October with an 81-81 record, and that had already caused some problems with the fans. Yet Game 1 showed why the crowd expected more from a postseason team. Chicago had 11 hits, while Houston managed only 6 hits, and the chances came in the last couple of innings.

Now the Astros will turn to Hunter Brown for Game 2. The Astros need to win this to keep the series afloat.