The Chicago Cubs will host the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field Tuesday for Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series.
The series, Chicago’s first postseason appearance since 2020, will be a best-of-three to determine who will face the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Division Series.
MORE: Chicago Cubs announce full 2025 NL Wild Card series roster
Here’s what time the games start, and what to know.
What time do the Cubs play?
Both Games 1 and 2 between the Cubs and Padres will begin at 2:08 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Game 3 of the series, if necessary, would be played on Thursday. A start time has not yet been determined.
What channel will the Cubs game be on?
Both games will air nationally on ABC.
Where is the Cubs game?
The game will be at Wrigley Field since the team earned home-field advantage in the wild card round with their win on Saturday over the St. Louis Cardinals. They have played the Padres in one other postseason series, with San Diego capturing the 1984 National League Championship Series in five games.
What happens if they win?
If the Cubs can advance out of that series, they will take on the Brewers beginning Saturday at Milwaukee’s American Family Field. They have never faced the Brewers in the postseason, though Milwaukee did win a one-game tiebreaker over the Cubs in 2018 to capture the National League Central crown.
What are the other series?
The other three series will also take place Tuesday through Thursday. The two American League series will begin at 12:08 p.m. and 5:08 p.m. Central time, and those games will air on ESPN.
Currently, two of the three division titles remain up for grabs, with only the Seattle Mariners having locked up their crown. They will receive a bye into the American League Division Series as the No. 2 seed.
The Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees are tied atop the American League East, with the Blue Jays holding the tiebreaker. They will play the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, with a win guaranteeing them the top seed in the American League and a bye into the division series.
The second place team from the East will earn the top wild card spot and will host a wild card round series beginning Tuesday.
In the American League Central, the Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers remain tied for the top spot, with the Guardians holding the tiebreaker. If they can win their game Sunday, they would capture the division crown and would host the wild card series in Cleveland beginning Tuesday.
The Boston Red Sox also need a win to lock up the second wild card spot in the American League.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, the winners of the National League West Division, will take on either the Cincinnati Reds or New York Mets beginning at 8:08 p.m. Tuesday in Game 1, with that game airing on ESPN.
The Reds hold a tiebreaker over the Mets entering the final game of the regular season, meaning a win over the Brewers would guarantee them a playoff berth. The Mets are taking on the Miami Marlins in their season finale.
Want more insights? Join Working Title - our career elevating newsletter and get the future of work delivered weekly.
