Padres' Top 3 batters cannot afford another combined hitless game in the 2025 MLB playoffs

The San Diego Padres had everything going for them entering the postseason. Donning a 7-1 record in their last eight games of the regular season, the offense was clicking and their pitchers were (mainly) healthy. It was an exciting wave that sent them to 90 victories with high hopes of a deep run in October.

Before the calendar even flipped over to October, that momentum quickly evaporated - just one day into the playoffs. Falling to the Chicago Cubs, 3-1 in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card on Tuesday, there are many things that fans can point to as to why this team all of a sudden has their backs against the wall.

But the main reason? Look at their 1-3 hitters in the starting lineup. They went hitless, which is not something that San Diego can afford to happen for the remainder of the playoffs.

Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Luis Arraez fail to log a hit in Padres' Game 1 loss vs. Cubs

On Tuesday, Fernando Tatis Jr., Luis Arraez, and Manny Machado combined for an 0-for-11 game against the Cubs with three strikeouts. As the top three hitters in the lineup, this is the perfect recipe to kill any rally. The Padres failed to muster up any momentum at the plate, as these 1-3 batters accounted for four inning-ending outs.

It's not just that these players are hitting atop the Padres' lineup. These three guys led the team in hits this year: Arraez (181), Machado (169), Tatis Jr. (159). The next closest Friar is Xander Bogaerts, who had 30 less hits than Tatis Jr. That's a pretty hefty drop-off, so unfortunately there is a reliance on this trio to come through every game.

It was pretty clear from the start that the Padres were flat on offense, so once Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly powered back-to-back home runs in the fifth inning to take the lead, it almost felt like the game was over.

To be fair to Machado, he did draw a walk on Tuesday. He even reached third base in the fourth inning, but was unable to score. But besides that, there wasn't much from the top of the order.

Right now, if Padres fans can find any peace, they'd have to dial it back to 1984, when the Friars overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Cubs in the NLCS in a best-of-5 series. Let's hope history can repeat itself.

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