The Padres and the Cubs will meet in the Wild Card Series again. So wearing the color blue around San Diego is a bad idea. But one reporter wore a blue jacket, and Padres star Manny Machado had to let him know that he wasn’t happy with it. The moment was clearly in jest, with Machado smiling as he made the comment.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
In a recent presser, one of the reporters, Karthik Venkataraman, wore a blue jacket. This caught the $350 million star’s attention, who said, “Aren’t you from San Diego?… Why are you wearing blue?” The exchange was lighthearted, with both Machado and the reporter laughing throughout. The reporter even joked about removing it.
The moment came as the Cubs get ready to return to Petco Park for another Wild Card series. In 2025, the Cubs eliminated the Padres 2-1, winning the deciding Game 3 of the Wild Card series, 3-1.
Machado admitted, “Obviously it stung last year for us.” But also added that “This year is going to be a little bit different, and hopefully we go out there and take care of business.”
Machado’s comments show how deeply last year’s loss affected the team heading into a rematch, especially with Machado playing a major role in helping the Padres stay alive in 2025. But now, Machado gets another series against Chicago, with every game played in San Diego.
Yet the Cubs-Padres story began way before Machado arrived. Back in 1984, the Cubs won the first two games before San Diego rallied back and won the last three, with Steve Garvey’s walk-off homer in Game 4 keeping the Padres alive. The Padres even went to the World Series that year.
That history returned in October 2025 when Chicago and San Diego met again in a postseason. The Cubs won Game 1 before Machado answered with his huge 2-run bomb in Game 2. Chicago then won 3-1 in the final game at Wrigley Field, taking the series 2-1.
Across their 2 postseason series, the teams have split 8 games, with four wins each.
The regular season has given Machado and San Diego plenty to remember before this rematch. Chicago won 5 of 6 meetings this season and outscored the Padres 55-28 overall, including a 23-3 blowout on July 1st.
But San Diego enters the with momentum front he 2nd half of the season and that gives the Padres a different setting for another meeting against the Cubs.
Machado’s playful jab reflects the weight of last year’s loss—a reminder that this rematch carries real stakes. It was clearly playful, but his words showed last year’s defeat still hurts. Now Machado and San Diego get another chance to change how this chapter ends.
MLB exec believes that the Padres can go all the way
The San Diego Padres are entering October after finishing the regular season with serious momentum behind them. San Diego went 17-3 over its final 20 games, winning 41 of its last 59. That surge helped the Padres secure home field against the Cubs in the Wild Card Series. But their late-season form has also caught the attention of an MLB executive.
ESPN’s Buster Olney revealed that an executive believes San Diego will win everything.
“The Padres are going to win the World Series for the first time in their history,” Olney said.
The prediction comes as San Diego shows signs of finally putting everything in place. Their 10th postseason appearance now carries a different feeling around Petco Park.
What makes the prediction interesting is the strength of San Diego’s bullpen heading into October.
Olney said the bullpen is “the best,” while postseason off days could keep relievers fresh. San Diego also leads MLB in September home runs, giving its lineup another late-season weapon. Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill and Michael King have helped drive the turnaround.
But starting pitching remains the biggest question as San Diego begins its October journey. Olney pointed toward the 2024 Dodgers, who won with three or four functional starters. The Padres can lean heavily on their bullpen if those starters simply keep games within reach.
That formula could become important once every late inning starts carrying more weight.
Now, the Cubs stand between San Diego and another meeting with Milwaukee in October. Chicago eliminated the Padres last postseason, but this time the series moves to Petco Park. The Padres finished 91-71 and earned home field after their strong September surge.
Whether Olney’s prediction survives will depend on how those strengths hold up under pressure.