Just over three weeks after collapsing on the Wrigley Field mound with a shoulder injury that appeared season-ending, Daniel Palencia delivered the pivotal performance in the Chicago Cubs’ 3-1 victory over the San Diego Padres in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series.
The injury, suffered in a disastrous outing, had cost Palencia the closer role he earned with a dominant season. While veterans Brad Keller and Andrew Kittredge handled late-inning duties in September, Palencia returned from a 16-day absence for two brief tune-ups. Undeterred, he heeded manager Craig Counsell’s advice to be ready for any situation.
On Tuesday, that situation arrived in the fifth inning. With the Cubs trailing 1-0 and a runner on first, Counsell pulled starter Matthew Boyd and called on Palencia. The hard-throwing right-hander needed only five pitches to retire Fernando Tatis Jr. and Luis Arraez, extinguishing the threat.
“He was closing,” Counsell said, referencing Palencia’s former role. “This is the same to me. The way that outing happened and what the result was is like closing.”
Counsell’s philosophy of deploying “out-getters” in the most critical moments, regardless of inning, was on full display. After back-to-back solo home runs from Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly gave the Cubs a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth, Palencia was sent back to the mound for the sixth. It was the first time in nearly four months he had been asked to pitch across multiple innings.
Facing the heart of the Padres’ order—Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill, and Xander Bogaerts—Palencia was unfazed.
“My mindset was just be aggressive,” he said. “I’m the guy for that situation. I know they are great hitters, but I’m a great pitcher, too. It’s them versus me. This time I won.”
Having studied the Padres’ hitters, Palencia struck out Machado on a devastating slider and overpowered Merrill with a 101.2 mph fastball. Two pitches later, he retired Bogaerts to cap his brilliant 1.2-inning outing.
“That was honestly the turning point in the game,” said Keller. “To see him go one-plus, strike out a bunch of guys, and go right through the heart of their order—that was awesome. You could tell with every pitch he was gaining more and more confidence.”
Palencia’s effort set the tone for a flawless bullpen performance, as Drew Pomeranz, Kittredge, and Keller retired the next nine batters in order.
“Him getting five outs against five hitters and going through the top of their lineup, the game made sense after that,” Counsell said. “There was a real path right there. Credit to Danny for putting the game back together.”
The performance marks a dramatic turnaround for Palencia, who rededicated himself in the offseason after a frustrating 2024 campaign where his results didn’t match his potent repertoire. He focused on his physical conditioning and mental approach, rediscovering his passion for the game.
“I’ve been preparing my body and my mind since the offseason,” Palencia said. “This is the moment I want to be in. My job is making outs. That’s it.”
As Pete Crow-Armstrong secured the final out of the sixth, Palencia roared and gestured to the crowd, releasing a wave of pent-up emotion fueled by adrenaline and the electric atmosphere. Teammates noted he was on the dugout steps waving a towel during the fifth-inning home runs, yet he channeled that energy into a composed, dominant outing.
“He’s been so great for us all year,” said Dansby Swanson. “It’s been really fun to see him come into his own and just be aggressive and attack with his best stuff.”
While the Padres’ highly-touted bullpen entered the series with much of the fanfare, it was the Cubs’ relievers, led by Palencia, who sealed their club’s first postseason victory in nearly eight years.
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