Cubs Best Bet to Rally Among Wild Card Game 1 Losers — SkimNews
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- Cubs posted a +147 run differential (third-best in MLB) and led the majors in OPS during the regular season, making them the top-ranked Game 1 loser to rally past the Padres after being shut down by Michael King in Game 1.
- Phillies send Cy Young candidate Cristopher Sánchez to the mound in Game 2 against the Braves' Tyler Mahle (not Chris Sale), but their offense has managed just 13 runs over their past six games.
- Red Sox face Yankees ace Max Fried — whose 142 career ERA+ trails only Chris Sale and Jacob deGrom among active pitchers — while Boston ranks 19th in OPS this season and dead last in September.
- Since the Wild Card format was adopted in 2022, only once in 16 tries has the Game 1 loser come back to win the series — last year's Yankees over the Red Sox via Cam Schlittler's Game 3 gem.
- Astros rank last among Game 1 losers after going 81-81 and being outscored by 32 runs in the regular season, though Hunter Brown takes the mound in Game 2 with the White Sox's Grant Taylor likely unavailable after a season-high 54 pitches in Game 1.
- Boston outfielder Roman Anthony exited Game 1 with hand problems — the same hand that sidelined him for much of the 2026 season — further clouding the Red Sox's already-thin comeback hopes.
Why it matters: The Cubs' MLB-best OPS and +147 run differential suggest they may be the stronger team in their series despite the deficit, yet the broader 1-in-16 historical pattern means all four trailing clubs face steep odds — and Boston's mounting injury concerns (Roman Anthony's hand) combined with a last-in-MLB September offense make the Yankees matchup the most lopsided of the four.
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