Cubs beat Padres 3-1 in Game 3 of the wild-card series to advance to National League Division Series

The way the Cubs’ and Padres’ bullpens had been throwing, conventional wisdom suggested the team who scored early would win the deciding Game 3 of the wild-card series Thursday and advance to the National League Division Series.

The Cubs proved that logic correct, as they beat the Padres 3-1 on Thursday.

Designated hitter Kyle Tucker started the Cubs’ second-inning rally against Padres starter Yu Darvish, a former Cub, with a line drive into right field for a single. Seiya Suzuki carried on his personal hot streak with a double up the left-field line. Darvish then hit Carson Kelly with a sinker to load the bases.

Crow-Armstrong, who had gone 0-for-6 in the series up to that point, stepped in with the pressure mounting.

Darvish threw a first-pitch curveball in the dirt. Crow-Armstrong didn’t bite. Then Darvish came back with a fastball that drifted toward the middle of the strike zone. Crow-Armstrong struck it up the middle.

As his line drive hung in the air, it was clear the Cubs had a chance to score even if it was caught — though Tucker’s speed was visibly hampered by his lingering calf injury, leaving some doubt.

Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill raced in, but he pulled up late to field the ball on a bounce. Crow-Armstrong rounded first and punched the air in celebration, and Tucker crossed the plate for the first run of the game.

The Padres quickly turned to their bullpen, bringing in another former Cub, the hard-throwing Jeremiah Estrada, to face Dansby Swanson.

Swanson drew a base-loaded walk to double the Cubs’ lead.

The Cubs didn’t score again until the seventh inning, when Michael Busch launched a solo homer. But their pitching staff made sure that was enough to win the game.

Right-handed starter Jameson Taillon authored four scoreless innings and held the Padres to just two hits. Then the bullpen allowed just one run the rest of the way, on a ninth inning solo homer from Merrill.

Behind them, they had the support of a steady defensive, with no one playing a more crucial role than Swanson at shortstop.

He stole two hits from elite contact hitter Luis Arraez. In the fourth inning, Swanson practically levitated to knock down a line drive. Then he quickly collected it and fried it first in time.

In the sixth, Swanson made a sliding stop up the middle to nab Arraez again. Then to end the inning, Swanson fielded a ground ball from Merrill and hustled to second base to turn a double play.

Merrill tilted his head back and exhaled in frustration.

The game came down to the wire. Cubs reliever Brad Keller, after a scoreless eighth inning, gave up a leadoff solo home run to Merrill in the ninth. Then with one out, he hit two batters. Veteran right-hander Andrew Kittredge replaced him, with the tying run standing on first base.

He escaped to punch the Cubs’ ticket.

Game 1 of NLDS between the Cubs and Brewers is set for Saturday at American Family Field in Milwaukee.