Padres rout Cubs 8-0 in emphatic Wild Card opener with Tatis' leadoff homer, King's no-hit bid

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. hit the first leadoff homer in Padres playoff history on the Cubs’ first pitch, Michael King took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and San Diego rolled to an 8-0 victory over Chicago in their NL Wild Card Series opener on Tuesday night.

Manny Machado also homered in the first inning and added an RBI double in the third during an emphatic opening statement by the 91-win Padres. Xander Bogaerts also homered off Cubs starter Matthew Boyd, and Jackson Merrill added a two-run single later.

San Diego provided more than enough support for King, who struck out eight over seven stellar innings while thoroughly throttling the majors' highest-scoring team. King set the tone by striking out probable NL MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong with the first three pitches.

“It gives me confidence knowing the team has confidence in me to pitch in these games,” King said. “But then when you have our superstars showing out like that in the bottom of the first, it makes it a lot easier.”

Nico Hoerner got the Cubs’ only hit off King with a one-out infield single in the seventh, but King racked up two more strikeouts to earn the last of several standing ovations from the raucous sellout crowd watching his third career playoff start.

“The crowd was awesome,” Chicago manager Craig Counsell said. “They had a lot to cheer about tonight, and we didn't give them anything to be quiet about.”

Game 2 is Wednesday night at Petco Park. The series winner faces the MLB-best Milwaukee Brewers in the best-of-five division series.

Chicago had just one hit before getting to Joe Musgrove, the Padres veteran making his first major league appearance since Oct. 2, 2024, in the ninth inning. The Cubs got two singles and a walk before Musgrove struck out pinch-hitter Michael Conforto to preserve the shutout in his return from Tommy John surgery.

The Padres dominated the opener of this rematch of last fall’s Wild Card Series, won by the Cubs in three tight games. San Diego scored more runs in the first five innings of this series opener than it did last year in all three games at Wrigley Field combined.

When asked if his postseason managerial debut could have gone any better, San Diego's Craig Stammen replied: “No, probably not."

“We couldn't write it up any better ... (but) it's just one game, and we've got a job to do to finish the series off," Stammen added. "The Cubs are a great team. They didn't play their best game tonight, but I guarantee they're going to play their best game tomorrow.”

San Diego finished this season with the majors’ sixth-best record, besting Chicago by two wins and setting franchise records with its third straight playoff berth and fifth straight winning record. The Padres hit the postseason on a 17-3 roll, and they’re still surging.

Boyd’s opening pitch was a changeup, and Tatis crushed it 405 feet to center in a blast reminiscent of his first-inning homer in Game 1 of San Diego’s 2024 NL Wild Card Series victory over Atlanta.

Moments later, Machado smashed another changeup out to left-center, setting off pandemonium at Petco with his franchise-record ninth postseason homer.

“Honestly, it was hard to stay locked in in the bottom of the first,” King said with a smile. “I love to celebrate my guys hitting homers, but obviously I have a job to do. Hard to stay dialed in on what I was doing because it was an absolutely electric atmosphere.”

Tatis walked in the third and scored from first on Machado’s double to the wall. Bogaerts connected in the fourth, lining a full-count changeup into the seats on the Western Metal Supply Co. building above left field.

“When those guys are leading the charge, we're a pretty tough team,” Stammen said.

San Diego loaded the bases in the fifth against reliever Javier Assad, and Merrill cracked a two-run single to center before Ty France scored on a passed ball.

King escaped the minor trouble he faced, picking up key strikeouts and throwing his sweeper superbly. Hoerner got Chicago’s hit on a grounder that Machado stopped with difficulty, but couldn’t transfer to his throwing hand cleanly enough to make a play.

Tatis scored his third run in the seventh when he singled, stole second and ran all the way home when the throw trickled into center. Tatis slid headfirst past the tag and came up screaming while Machado theatrically signaled him safe.

Nick Pivetta (3-2, 2.86 ERA) starts Game 2 for the Padres in his fifth game back from a near five-month absence with a right elbow injury. Kevin Gausman (4-2, 4.83) goes for the Cubs.

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (2) turns a double play on San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill (3) in the fourth inning of Game 1 of the National League Wild Card baseball playoff series Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Chicago Cubs pitcher Javier Assad (72) hands the ball to manager Craig Counsell as he is pulled in the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card baseball playoff series Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. celebrates his home run in the first inning of Game 1 of the National League Wild Card baseball playoff series against the Chicago Cubs Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

San Diego Padres pitcher Michael King delivers against the Chicago Cubs in the sixth inning of Game 1 of the National League Wild Card baseball playoff series Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. and third baseman Manny Machado (13) celebrate their back-to-back home runs in the first inning of Game 1 of the National League Wild Card baseball playoff series against the Chicago Cubs Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

San Diego Padres Fernando Tatis Jr. reacts with third baseman Manny Machado (13) after scoring on a steal and an error by Chicago Cubs in the seventh inning of Game 1 of the National League Wild Card baseball playoff series Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

PHOENIX (AP) — As former Hurricane Polo weakened over northwestern Mexico on Tuesday evening, the storm’s remnants battered the U.S. Southwest, flooding roadways and forcing residents in small New Mexico towns to evacuate over concerns about a dam failing.

Polo had struck the Mexican state of Baja California Sur in the morning with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (177 kph). It crossed the Gulf of California and weakened to become a tropical storm as it moved inland to the northeast.

By Tuesday evening, the New Mexico Department of Transportation reported flooded roads and debris on highways across the state, while parts of Arizona had become especially drenched, leading to several water rescues.

That is after storms rolled through parts of the U.S. Southwest overnight Monday, saturating the ground, which can make flooding worse.

Later in the week, the flood risk is expected to move into parts of the central U.S., according to the National Weather Service.

Bands of rain continued to sweep across the U.S. Southwest, causing desert rivers to surge and usually dry arroyos to rage with floodwater.

The potential failure of the dam in south central New Mexico prompted evacuations in three small communities with hundreds of residents along the Rio Grande. People in Rincon, Salem and Garfield were told to seek higher ground immediately “before conditions worsen.” Residents were later told to evacuate from nearby Hatch, home to prized green chile crops, and farther north in Placitas.

Wide swaths of the U.S. Southwest were under flood watches as the complex system of tropical weather spread northeast from Mexico, with Polo as the main event.

“Definitely looking at the chances for urban flooding,” weather service meteorologist Carter Greulich in Albuquerque said. “Don’t drive through flooded roadways. Remain out of the arroyos, especially in our urban areas.”

A person stranded on top of a vehicle in floodwaters west of Phoenix was rescued Tuesday morning. Video taken by Arizona Fire and Medical Services showed a helicopter lowering a rescuer to a person clinging to their overturned car. And in Zion National Park, in Utah, a helicopter rescued three people in Heaps Canyon after flash flooding hit.

North of Phoenix, a truck was swept away in a wash. The driver got out safely, Maricopa County sheriff’s officials said.

The rocky, desert area typically gets less than 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain annually with little vegetation to soak it up, making flash flooding a perpetual risk.

The Bureau of Land Management in Arizona also reported significant flooding and damage to access roads in a national conservation area and a sand dunes recreation area in the southeastern part of the state.

Back in Utah, the East Fork of the Virgin River near Zion raged with chocolate floodwater and a shipping container floated downstream.

In the small town of Orderville, Utah, where flooding began Monday night, Sabrina Dubay was driving home when her partner called and told her to stay away.

“The river came in and swept around the entirety of our house,” Dubay said.

A camper, snowmobile trailer, and other items from Dubay’s yard were swept away by the river. Neighbors and friends arrived to dig a trench around the house as the water rose around their home.

“It was coming in through our front doors,” she said.

An unusually soggy September across the region set the stage: When the ground is saturated, rainfall has nowhere to go but run off.

“Runoff is likely going to start much quicker and lead to those flooding impacts quicker,” Greulich said.

By late Tuesday, rain had started in parts of the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles. Parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa were under flood watches, with flooding possible through at least Thursday.

Hurricane Polo pummeled Baja California Sur with powerful winds and rain as it made landfall.

After Polo passed over the small fishing town of Puerto San Carlos on the Baja California peninsula, residents waded among downed trees through ankle-high water that flooded some homes. Seeing their roughened community largely intact brought relief to those who had prepared for the worst.

Shopkeeper Elbia María Bachomo, 40, picked through furniture strewn through her home. She and her three children had gathered their clothes quickly and left for a shelter Monday as water began flooding into their home. Her husband was out on the water fishing for sardines when Polo hit. Bachomo said he was fortunate to escape alive.

“I thought, ‘Oh no, what are we going to come back to? We will be left with nothing.’ But we were lucky,” she said.

Hundreds of people were in shelters Tuesday in Baja California Sur, but they were expected to return to their homes.

Meanwhile, the hurricane center reported Tropical Storm Rachel was moving parallel to Mexico’s coast Tuesday and was expected to become a hurricane soon. The storm was about 300 miles (482.8 kilometers) west-southwest of Lazaro Cardenos with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (112.6 kph). It was moving northwest at 13 mph (20 kph).

In the central Pacific Ocean, Hurricane Nolo was starting to slow Tuesday but still threatened dangerous conditions for parts of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, a marine conservation area. The storm moved northward after drenching parts of the Big Island over the weekend.

Pacific storm activity has been above average this year. That is consistent with El Niño years.

Hill reported from Las Vegas and Brown reported from Billings, Montana. Martin Silva Rey and Eduardo Verdugo in Puerto San Carlos, Mexico, Megan Janetsky in Mexico City, Hallie Golden in Seattle, Julie Walker in New York, Mead Gruver in Fort Collins, Colorado, Mikella Schuettler in Phoenix, Sarah Raza in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Eugene Garcia and Gregory Bull in Hilo, Hawaii, contributed to this report.

Vehicles navigate on a road after torrential rains moved through the Phoenix metro area, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, in Anthem, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

A man carries items through floodwater past downed electric lines after the passing of Hurricane Polo in Puerto San Carlos, Baja California Sur state, Mexico, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

An uprooted tree lies on the ground after the passing of Hurricane Polo in Puerto San Carlos, Baja California Sur state, Mexico, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

A resident retrieves belongings from their home that was damaged by Hurricane Polo in Puerto San Carlos, Baja California Sur state, Mexico, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

Vehicles drive in the rain on the I-10 with Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) warning signs displayed along the route, Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

A man carries items through floodwater past downed electric lines after the passing of Hurricane Polo in Puerto San Carlos, Baja California Sur state, Mexico, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

A resident enters his home surrounded by water brought by Hurricane Polo in Puerto San Carlos, Baja California Sur state, Mexico, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

Workers pull a boat to shore as Hurricane Polo approaches Puerto San Carlos, Baja California Sur state, Mexico, Monday, Sept. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

People evacuate their homes as Hurricane Polo approaches Puerto San Carlos, Baja California Sur state, Mexico, Monday, Sept. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

Residents are evacuated by the Army as Hurricane Polo approaches Puerto San Carlos, Baja California Sur state, Mexico, Monday, Sept. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

People evacuate their homes as Hurricane Polo approaches Puerto San Carlos, Baja California Sur state, Mexico, Monday, Sept. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

Workers pull a boat to shore as Hurricane Polo approaches Puerto San Carlos, Baja California Sur state, Mexico, Monday, Sept. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)