Oscar Gonzalez knows what postseason baseball feels like. Three years ago, he had Progressive Field rocking. His walk-off home run off Corey Kluber in the 15th inning eliminated the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL Wild-Card Series and sent a crowd of 34,971 into a frenzy. A couple thousand more fans had filed into the Guardians’ home park a week later when his walk-off single for a 2-1 series lead over the Yankees gave them even more to cheer.
Those crowds have nothing on what the 27-year-old Gonzalez has observed his first week at Petco Park.
“It’s kind of the same (as) playoffs and a regular game here,” Gonzalez said. “It’s huge. Every day it’s full.”
Which makes Gonzalez all that much happier to contribute.
After all, he hadn’t been in the majors since 2023 when he was called up from Triple-A El Paso as an injury replacement for Jackson Merrill (hamstring). Gonzalez is 4-for-11 with two RBIs since then, has hits in each of his three starts and will serve as the left fielder and five-hole hitter as the Padres (14-4) look to take the series from the Cubs (12-8).
“Baseball is hard,” Gonzalez said before Wednesday’s 1:10 p.m. start (Padres.TV). “To be here is huge. The opportunity the Padres gave to me, I have to appreciate that and give the best for myself.”
Working on a Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/NAFKIUyseb
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) April 16, 2025
The path back to the majors was certainly hard.
His postseason heroics capped a rookie season in which he paired 11 homers with a .296/.327/.461 batting line across 91 games with the Guardians in 2022. The production sagged to .214/.239/.312 the next year, leading the Guardians to waive him after the season.
Gonzalez landed with the Yankees but a foul ball off his face in spring training resulted in an orbital fracture and a trip to the injured list. He performed well in the minors (.821 OPS), but was not called up and elected free agency after the season.
Gonzalez had three homers in seven games a Triple-A El Paso (1.030 OPS) when the Padres flew him into Sacramento last week.
“Crazy, crazy,” Gonzalez said. “It’s baseball. You have to do what you have to do. I think the most important thing is to be ready for everything, for the opportunity. Those years ed already. I have to focus on this year and whatever God gives to me.”
Gonzalez is starting in left field because the Cubs’ left-handed starter (see below) is sending both Jason Heyward and Gavin Sheets to the bench to start the series finale. That puts Tyler Wade back in center field for his second start there since the team lost both Merrill and Brandon Lockridge to hamstring injuries.
Both Merrill and Lockridge took their biggest steps toward returns before Wednesday’s game, running on the field in a straight line in right field for the first time since landing on the injured list.
The right-handed-hitting Connor Joe is the starting lineup for the first time since his call-up. He struck out looking as a pinch-hitter on Tuesday night. Joe will play first base and bat eighth between second baseman Jose Iglesias and catcher Elias Díaz, getting the day-after-night start.
Here is how the Cubs will line up for Game 3:
One more on the West Coast.
Watch it live on the Marquee Sports Network App. pic.twitter.com/5zLvfz2ofX
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 16, 2025
Wednesday’s pitching matchup
Cubs LHP Matthew Boyd (1-1, 1.59 ERA)
The 34-year-old veteran beat the Padres earlier this month with six shutout innings at Wrigley. He has 17 strikeouts against seven walks through his first 17 innings. He allowed his first home run and runs of the season in his last start, a loss in Los Angeles in which he allowed three runs over six innings.
Here is how Boyd has fared against current Padres:
- SS Xander Bogaerts (3-for-14, 1 HR, 3 RBIs, BB, 2 Ks)
- C Martín Maldonado (2-for-12, 2B, 3 Ks)
- 3B Manny Machado (4-for-10, 2 2Bs, 2 RBIs, 3 Ks)
- DH Yuli Gurriel (1-for-10, K)
- 1B Luis Arraez (2-for-4, 2B, BB, K, HBP)
- C Elias Díaz (2-for-4)
- OF Oscar Gonzalez (1-for-2, HR, 2 RBIs, BB)
- OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (0-for-3, K)
- UT Tyler Wade (0-for-2, K)
- UT Connor Joe (0-for-2, K)
Padres RHP Nick Pivetta (2-1, 1.59 ERA)
The 32-year-old Canadian has an 18-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio through his first 17 innings. His lone loss was allowing three runs on six hits and three walks in three innings on April 5 at Wrigley Field, a start sandwiched by a pair of seven-inning, zero-run gems.
- SS Dansby Swanson (10-for-32, 2B, 2 HRs, 5 RBIs, BB, 10 Ks)
- 1B Justin Turner (5-for-8, 2 2Bs, 2 HRs, 3 RBIs, BB)
- OF Kyle Tucker (2-for-8, 2B, RBI, BB, 2 Ks)
- OF Ian Happ (1-for-7, 2B, BB, 6 Ks)
- UT Jon Berti (1-for-6, 2 Ks)
- C Carson Kelly (2-for-4, 3B, RBI, 2 Ks)
- 1B Michael Busch (0-for-2, BB)
- OF Seiya Suzuki (0-for-2, 2 Ks)
- 2B Nico Hoerner (0-for-2)
- OF Pete Crow-Armstrong (1-for-1, BB)
