San Diego Padres Wild Card Series

Everything on the Padres’ path through the 2026 MLB Wild Card round — the matchup, the schedule, how the round works, and every Wild Card series the Padres have actually played.

The Padres Are Hosting the Wild Card Series

Petco Park hosts the entire best-of-three Wild Card Series against the Chicago Cubs — every game, no travel. Win it, and the Padres advance to face the Brewers in the NLDS.

• Game 1: Tuesday, Sept. 29 — 7 PM (Check Tickets)
• Game 2: Wednesday, Sept. 30 — 7 PM (Check Tickets)
• Game 3 (if necessary): Thursday, Oct. 1 — time TBD (Check Tickets)

How the Wild Card Round Works

Each league sends six teams to the postseason — three division winners and three Wild Cards. The top two division winners by record get a bye straight to the Division Series. Everyone else — the third-place division winner plus all three Wild Card teams — is seeded 3 through 6 and plays in the Wild Card round.

The matchups are fixed: the #3 seed hosts the #6 seed, and the #4 seed hosts the #5 seed. Both are best-of-3 series, and — this is the part that catches people off guard — every single game is played at the higher seed’s ballpark, even if the series goes the full three games. There’s no split, no traveling back and forth. MLB doesn’t reseed after this round either; the winners advance to face whichever top-two seed their bracket slot points to.

This is a newer format. From 2012 through 2021, the Wild Card round was a single win-or-go-home game. The best-of-3 series arrived with the 12-team expansion in 2022.

Wild Card Tickets

Ticket mechanics follow the same process as any Padres postseason round — see the full breakdown on the playoff tickets hub for when sales open, Season Ticket Member priority, and where to buy.

Parking

Parking around Petco is going to be brutal for a Wild Card game — lock in your spot ahead of time instead of circling the Gaslamp at 6:45.

• Game 1: Find Parking


• Game 2: Find Parking

Padres in the Wild Card Round

2020: Won 2-1 over the Cardinals at Petco Park — the franchise’s first home postseason series win, after losing Game 1 before taking Games 2 and 3. No fans were permitted to attend due to COVID-19 restrictions.

2022: Won 2-1 on the road over the Mets, advancing to face the Dodgers in the NLDS.

2024: Swept the Braves 2-0 in a two-game series.

2025: Lost 2-1 to the Cubs, all three games played at Wrigley Field.