2026 MLB wild-card series Day 1: Takeaways, analysis

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          Ben Rice powers Yankees with 2 HRs, 6 RBIs in Game 1 (0:56)

          • ESPN
          Sep 30, 2026, 12:55 AM ET

          It's time for the 2026 MLB playoffs!

          The Atlanta Braves got Tuesday's action going with a dramatic come-from-behind win over the Philadelphia Phillies thanks to Austin Riley's three-run blast in the eighth inning. The Chicago White Sox followed that up with a victory over the Houston Astros in the American League's first contest of the day. Later, a rivalry showdown between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees turned into a blowout win for the Yanks, then the San Diego Padres ran away with the nightcap against the Chicago Cubs.

          Who got off to a hot start this postseason? We've got you covered with pregame lineups, sights and sounds from the ballparks and postgame takeaways as each Day 1 matchup ends.

          Key links: Mega-preview | Predictions | Bracket | Schedule

          San Diego Padres 8, Chicago Cubs 0

          San Diego leads, 1-0

          It was over when ... Fernando Tatis Jr. saw the first pitch of the game. Tatis unloaded on a center-cut, 83 mph changeup from Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd and sent it 405 feet to straightaway center field for the first leadoff home run in Padres postseason history. It was a jolt of electricity for a hyped Petco Park crowd, and it set a tone. Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts followed by also homering on changeups, with the three long balls constituting the most Boyd had ever given up on that pitch in a single game. Between Tatis, Machado, Bogaerts and Jackson Merrill, the Padres accumulated seven hits, two walks, six RBIs and five batted balls over 103 mph. If those four are going -- at home, no less -- the Padres are almost impossible to stop.

          Stat that defined the game: You have to go back to Zac Gallen in the 2023 World Series to find the last pitcher who took a no-hitter into the seventh inning of a playoff game. Michael King was that special for the Padres in Game 1 -- and then some. He allowed just one hit -- on a slow roller down the third-base line from Nico Hoerner with one out in the seventh -- and struck out eight. Five of those strikeouts came against Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman, the two most critical hitters in the Cubs' lineup. The Padres are relatively thin on starting pitching; their bullpen is going to have to carry them through these playoffs. But King is their unquestioned ace. And in their postseason opener, he showed why. -- Alden Gonzalez

          Cubs get first hit in the seventh

          Machado, Tatis team up for third Padres run

          Machado: My turn!

          A first-pitch tater for Tatis

          Petco Park is hoppin' early

          New York Yankees 9, Boston Red Sox 0

          New York leads series 1-0

          It was over when ... Red Sox manager Chad Tracy pulled starter Payton Tolle in the fifth inning. Tracy's desire not to let Yankees slugger Ben Rice -- far and away the most dangerous hitter in their Aaron Judge-free lineup -- see Tolle for a third time was understandable. But this is the postseason. Even more, this is a three-game series. Teams have to value every out and use only their best. And while Erik Miller -- brought on to replace Tolle -- throws hard and is left-handed, Miller is not one of Boston's best. He showed that when he left a fastball over the heart of the plate and Rice smacked it 423 feet to center field to give New York a 2-0 lead. The way Cam Schlittler pitched, two runs was plenty. -- Jeff Passan

          Stat that defined the game: Schlittler did it again to his hometown team. A year after shutting down the Red Sox over eight innings in a win-or-go home Game 3 at Yankee Stadium, the Massachusetts native tossed 6⅓ scoreless innings -- and ventured into uncharted territory in the Bronx. Schlittler threw a career-high 117 pitches, surpassing the 107 pitches he tossed in that 2025 wild-card game. He held the Red Sox to two hits and one walk on Tuesday. He compiled 10 strikeouts and induced a career-high 24 swing-and-misses. Schlittler authored the dominance with a new wrinkle, throwing a career-high 29 curveballs; four of his 10 strikeouts came via that pitch. He walked off the mound -- after yielding a single to Wilyer Abreu -- to a standing ovation and MVP chants from the sellout crowd. Schlittler isn't going to win AL MVP, but he proved again Tuesday night that he is, in his first full major league season, one of the best pitchers in the world. -- Jorge Castillo

          Key moments from Yankees' win

          Grand. Slam. Ben. Rice.

          Cam Schlittler: 6⅓ innings, 10 strikeouts, 2 hits, 1 walk, 117(!) pitches

          Rice launches solo home run into Monument Park

          Yankees score first on Wells' RBI single

          Chicago White Sox 6, Houston Astros 3

          Chicago leads series 1-0

          It was over when ... Sam Antonacci stroked a two-run single off of Bryan King in the second to give Chicago a 3-0 edge. That didn't put the game out of reach by any stretch, but the feeling at Daikin Park was palpably miserable at that point -- and it never got much better. There was audible booing and general unrest from fans through much of the game, and despite all the big contests that have been played in the venue over the past decade, this less-than-capacity crowd was rarely engaged. And frankly, the Astros' lackluster performance didn't do much to stir the enthusiasms of their fans. This is what it looks like when a .500 team is in the playoffs.

          Stat that defined the game: 38. That's the number of pitches Chicago rookie lefty Hagen Smith needed to cover three crucial innings while the club behind him was building an early lead. The outing really set the tone for the young White Sox, and it was only the second time that Smith has thrown three innings since reaching the majors. He was converted to bullpen work midway through the season while still in the minors, a temporary change in role meant to accelerate his chances of helping this year's club. Smart move. The White Sox will be leaning heavily on him this postseason. -- Bradford Doolittle

          Key moments from White Sox's win

          Grant Taylor closes out the game for Chicago

          Altuve beats out the throw at first to score Houston's third run

          Astros finally get on the board in the 5th

          Montgomery joins Chicago's party with a home run

          White Sox pile on in the 2nd

          Atlanta Braves 5, Philadelphia Phillies 3

          Atlanta leads series 1-0

          It was over when ... Jhoan Duran left a fastball out over the plate and Austin Riley did not miss it. Riley's three-run blast in the eighth inning turned a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 lead and sent the Atlanta crowd into a frenzy. Three Raisel Iglesias outs later, the Braves were shaking hands one win away from a division series date with the Dodgers.

          Star who defined the game: In a game that appeared to be defined by stellar performances from starting pitchers Jesus Luzardo and Chris Sale, Riley stole the show with his dramatic home run.

          An even better sign for Atlanta fans: The home run came on a 99.9 mph fastball, the fastest pitch Riley has homered on in his career, regular season or playoffs. It has been a rough year for the third baseman, who hit just .219 this season, but if he gets going to lengthen the lineup, it will make the Braves a much tougher out this postseason. -- Dan Mullen

          Key moments from Braves' win

          Riley hits go-ahead blast

          Phillies reclaim lead on Realmuto's clutch hit

          Luzardo comes up big for Phillies

          Phillies strike first in Atlanta