By Yardbarker,Zachary Cariola
Copyright yardbarker
The National League wild-card round between the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres begins on Tuesday, Sept. 30. The Cubs will send All-Star left-hander Matthew Boyd to the mound to battle the Padres’ Nick Pivetta.
The Cubs don’t have as much star power as the Padres, but they have the advantage of playing at home. Boyd and the rest of the Cubs’ lineup have all performed well at Wrigley Field this season.
Matthew Boyd and Cubs’ lineup shine at Wrigley Field
If the Cubs are to advance to the National League Division Series to play their rival, the Milwaukee Brewers, they must take care of business at home. That shouldn’t be a problem for Chicago, which has posted a 50-31 record at The Friendly Confines in 2025.
Though Shota Imanaga would’ve been a good choice for Cubs manager Craig Counsell to throw in Game 1, Boyd has performed better than Imanaga at home, with a 4.04 ERA in 71.1 innings. According to Marquee Sports Network, Boyd is 12-1 with a 2.51 ERA in 89.2 innings and 10 quality starts in 15 starts at Wrigley.
