Venue: Petco Park, San Diego, California (Padres home).
First pitch is scheduled for 9:40 p.m. ET (6:40 p.m. PT local).
TV: Marquee Sports Network (Cubs) and Padres.TV; streaming on MLB.TV.
This is Game 2 of a three-game series. The Padres took Game 1 on April 27 by a score of 9-7, with Ty France driving in four runs (double and triple) in a high-scoring affair.
Weather Updates: Classic mild San Diego evening conditions. First-pitch temperatures expected in the low-to-mid 60s°F (around 63-66°F), with partly cloudy skies, winds around 10-12 mph (generally from the northwest), and very low precipitation risk. Humidity moderate. Petco Park’s marine layer influence typically keeps the ball in the yard; no weather delays anticipated.
Injury Report:
Cubs: Significant pitching depth concerns persist. RHP Riley Martin (elbow inflammation, 15-day IL), RHP Daniel Palencia (lat strain/oblique), RHP Hunter Harvey (triceps), LHP Jordan Wicks (forearm/elbow issues), and long-term SP Cade Horton (Tommy John). Some day-to-day position player notes (e.g., LF Ian Happ with heel bruise earlier in month). Bullpen and rotation have been taxed.
Padres: Multiple key absences, especially in pitching and infield. 3B Manny Machado (leg discomfort, listed probable/recently day-to-day), RHP Jeremiah Estrada (elbow tendinitis), RHP Nick Pivetta (elbow), RHP Yuki Matsui (groin), RHP Griffin Canning (Achilles), and SP Joe Musgrove (Tommy John, long-term). Bullpen is stretched thin.
Both teams are operating with shortened pitching staffs, increasing the importance of the starters and available high-leverage relievers.
Probable Pitchers & Key Player Matchups:
Cubs: RHP Edward Cabrera (2-0, 2.73 ERA) — Strong early-season form with good strikeout stuff and command when healthy. Has kept runs low in limited starts.
Padres: RHP Walker Buehler (1-2, 5.75 ERA) — Veteran returning to form but with elevated early ERA and hard contact allowed. Strong track record at home, but inconsistent results so far in 2026.
This is a favorable matchup edge for the Cubs on paper due to Cabrera’s lower ERA vs. Buehler’s struggles.
Key matchups include:
Padres hot bats (Ty France, Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado if active) testing Cabrera’s stuff in a hitter-friendly stretch of the order.
Cubs lineup (Ian Happ, Dansby Swanson, emerging contributors like Moisés Ballesteros) trying to exploit Buehler’s recent vulnerability to hard contact. Petco Park generally plays as a neutral-to-slight pitcher’s park, especially at night with the marine layer.
Team Records & Recent Forms:
Cubs (17-12): 2nd in NL Central. Solid but inconsistent stretch — strong series wins (e.g., vs. Phillies) followed by losses to the Dodgers and Game 1 in San Diego. Offense has shown power but pitching injuries have hurt consistency. Recent form: mixed, with a couple of high-scoring losses.
Padres (19-9): Among the best records in the NL (contending in NL West). Surging overall with a strong home presence and timely hitting. They’ve shown resilience and bullpen usage in wins, including the series opener. Recent form: very competitive, capitalizing on offensive outbursts.
Series History: All-time, the Cubs hold a slight edge (roughly 285-239 in various historical windows), but recent seasons have been competitive with the Padres often splitting or winning series at home. In 2026, the Padres lead the current series 1-0 after Monday’s 9-7 victory. Games between these clubs frequently feature offense when starting pitching falters.
Betting Trends:
Games with these probable starters lean toward the side with the better current pitcher (Cubs), but Padres home games and recent high-scoring results (including Game 1) support Over considerations. Both teams’ depleted bullpens increase late-inning volatility.
Game Odds
Chicago Cubs – 113
San Diego Padres 8.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Sunday, April 26, 2026
