MLB Wild Card Game 1: Riley's Homer, Rice's Grand Slam and Two Shutouts
Four Game 1s, four 1-0 series leads, and a day that turned from tight to lopsided. Atlanta and the White Sox won the early games by a combined five runs; the Yankees and Padres then won the night games 17-0 between them.
Wild card Game 1: quick answers
- When was Game 1? Tuesday 29 September 2026 — all four series opened on the same day.
- How many series are at 1-0? All four: Braves, White Sox, Yankees and Padres lead.
- Biggest win? Yankees 9, Red Sox 0.
- Who hit the first playoff home run? Austin Riley, in the eighth inning in Atlanta.
- When is Game 2? Wednesday 30 September, with Game 3 on Thursday if needed.
Every Game 1 result
| Series | Result | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| NL · 6 at 3 | Braves 5, Phillies 3 | Austin Riley's three-run homer with two out in the eighth, off closer Jhoan Duran, turned a 3-2 deficit into the win. Atlanta lead 1-0. |
| AL · 6 at 3 | White Sox 6, Astros 3 | Chicago's first postseason win since 2021, after consecutive 100-loss seasons. Chicago lead 1-0. |
| AL · 5 at 4 | Yankees 9, Red Sox 0 | Ben Rice went 4-for-5 with two homers and six RBIs; Cam Schlittler struck out 10 in 6⅓ scoreless. New York lead 1-0. |
| NL · 5 at 4 | Padres 8, Cubs 0 | Fernando Tatis Jr. homered on the first pitch of the game and Michael King took a no-hitter into the seventh. San Diego lead 1-0. |
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The four games, in order
Atlanta 5, Philadelphia 3: the first home run of the playoffs decided it
Chris Sale struck out nine and left with a lead, and the Phillies erased it in the seventh when J.T. Realmuto tripled in two. In the eighth, with two out, Austin Riley hit a three-run shot off Jhoan Duran — the first home run of the 2026 postseason, 385 feet, and the swing that put Atlanta 1-0 up in a best-of-three.
Chicago 6, Houston 3: the White Sox are not here to make up the numbers
Two straight 100-loss seasons, then a playoff berth, then a road win in Game 1 against the AL West champions. It is Chicago's first postseason win since 2021, and it means the Astros — who finished 81-81 to win the division — must win twice in a row to survive.
New York 9, Boston 0: Rice carries an offence missing Judge
Aaron Judge is out with a calf injury and not on the wild card roster, so the Yankees needed someone else. Ben Rice gave them 4-for-5 with two home runs, a double and six RBIs — including a grand slam in the eighth. Cam Schlittler was dominant behind him: two hits, one walk and 10 strikeouts over 6⅓ innings, on a night he threw 32 curveballs out of 117 pitches.
San Diego 8, Chicago 0: the Cubs scored 23 in the season series and none here
The Cubs went 5-1 against the Padres in the regular season, including a 23-3 win in the final meeting. On Tuesday they managed one hit. Fernando Tatis Jr. homered on the first pitch he saw, Manny Machado went deep two batters later, Xander Bogaerts added a third, and Michael King carried a no-hitter into the seventh before finishing with seven innings of one-hit ball.
Our wild-card picks, one game in
Before Game 1 we picked Atlanta, Chicago, New York and Houston to advance. Two of those four are already behind in their series, and both of them lost the games we expected them to win. Here is where those picks stand.
| Team | What we said | Game 1 | Where that leaves it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | Picked to advance | Won Game 1, 5-3 | On track |
| Cubs | Picked to advance | Lost Game 1, 0-8 | Must win Game 2 and 3 |
| Yankees | Picked to advance | Won Game 1, 9-0 | On track |
| Astros | Picked to advance | Lost Game 1, 3-6 | Must win Game 2 and 3 |
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Game 2: who starts
| Series | Starters | First pitch (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Red Sox at Yankees | Sonny Gray (BOS) vs Max Fried (NYY) | 8 p.m. ET |
| Phillies at Braves | TBD | 2 p.m. ET |
| White Sox at Astros | TBD | 5 p.m. ET |
| Cubs at Padres | TBD | 10 p.m. ET |
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Day 1 by the numbers
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Games played | 4 |
| Home teams winning | 3 of 4 |
| Shutouts | 2 (Yankees 9-0, Padres 8-0) |
| Runs scored in the two night games | 17, and none allowed |
| Widest margin | 9 runs (Yankees) |
| Closest game | 2 runs (Braves 5-3) |
| Series at 1-0 | 4 of 4 |
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Shirt demand index: Game 1 movers
Built from our own order flow and range depth, measured the morning after Game 1.
Yankees and Padres. A 9-0 win without Aaron Judge and an 8-0 win behind a one-hit start are the two results that changed the most brackets overnight.
Braves and Cubs. Atlanta won a game they had to have; Chicago lost one they were expected to win, and both moves the same volume either way.
White Sox and Astros. Chicago are one win from the division series after two 100-loss seasons, and Houston are one loss from going home — the two cheapest prices in the round.
Playoff shirts
All eight clubs in the round, in fan and player editions. Printed names add a few days — order before the series is decided.
Atlanta Braves Home Custom Shirt in White
Bryce Harper Philadelphia Phillies Road Shirt…
Aaron Judge New York Yankees Road Shirt - Gray
Houston Astros Home Custom Shirt White
Chicago White Sox Home Team Shirt - White
Pete Crow-Armstrong Chicago Cubs Home Shirt…
Fernando Tatis Jr. San Diego Padres Alternate…
Garrett Crochet Boston Red Sox 2025 City Conn…
Our verdict
Day 1 was two close games and two routs, and it left both of our American League and National League lower seeds in trouble. The two clubs that look most convincing are the Yankees, who won 9-0 without their best hitter, and the Padres, who held the highest-scoring offence in the National League to one hit. The two that have work to do are the Astros, who must beat a team that has already out-pitched them once, and the Cubs, whose 5-1 season series against San Diego now looks like the least relevant number in the round.
What were the MLB wild card Game 1 results?
Who hit the first home run of the 2026 playoffs?
How did Ben Rice perform?
Why was Aaron Judge not playing?
Who starts Game 2 for the Yankees?
How many shutouts were there on Day 1?
What happens if a team loses Game 2?
Where can I buy playoff shirts?
Shirts for October
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