Craig Counsell’s gutsy call rescued Cubs from Padres in Game 1

The traditional playbook often needs to be thrown out when talking about how managers make in-game decisions during the playoffs, and that was the case for Craig Counsell during the Chicago Cubs' victory over the San Diego Padres in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card. Back-to-back home runs from Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly jolted the offense in the fifth inning, but it was the decision Counsell made before then that saved the day.

Matthew Boyd got the nod for the Cubs on Tuesday, and except for a shaky second inning, the All-Star starting pitcher was excellent. Despite Boyd only giving up 1 run into the fifth inning, Counsell turned the game over to the bullpen, and Daniel Palencia was the first man up.

Palencia, despite an injury scare in September and some regression, has thrived as the Cubs' closer this season, and that is why there was some surprise that he was being called upon in the fifth inning. It was a stroke of genius for Counsell as Palencia tossed 1 and 2/3 perfect innings while striking out 2. Most importantly, Palencia was flawless as he got through the third time around for the top of the Padres' lineup--Fernando Tatis Jr., Luis Arraez, and Manny Machado.

Craig Counsell outsmarts Padres with brilliant Game 1 call

With the Cubs handing out the richest managerial contract in the history of baseball when they hired Counsell after the 2023 season, the jokes wrote themselves over the last two years. The 83 wins the Cubs registered in 2024 left many wondering if the Cubs' front office misevaluated the decision to move on from David Ross in favor of Counsell, but a decision like the one he made on Tuesday should silence the doubters for good.

Counsell's ability to manage a bullpen is what helped him earn the reputation of being one of the best managers in baseball, and that was on full display during the Cubs' victory on Tuesday. In a shortened three-game series, decisions like that are the difference, and the Cubs now sit in the driver's seat against the Padres.

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