WATCH: Padres Players, Coaches, Held Back From Umpires In Dugout After Loss To Cubs

It's hard to blame the San Diego Padres for being upset after their season-ending loss to the Chicago Cubs in the third game of the Wild Card series. 

The Padres' dominant bullpen was once again virtually unhittable, forcing a game three, and showing resilience on the road against a difficult opponent. And the Padres had plenty of opportunities to break through offensively. In the decisive game three, for example, they had eight bats with runners in scoring position. Yet in a sign of how the series went, they were 0-8 in those situations. 

That frustration boiled over in the top of the ninth inning and afterward. After Jackson Merrill's leadoff home run, Xander Bogaerts took a 3-2 pitch that looked to be well below the strike zone. Umpire D.J. Reyburn rung him up anyway, costing the Padres a baserunner down just two runs with nobody out. 

Reliever Brad Keller went on to hit two hitters in a row, putting runners on first and second. While the Cubs might have handled pitching changes differently had Bogaerts walked, it's not hard to see why San Diego's players and coaching staff were upset. Still, nothing justifies the dugout's reaction at the end of the game. 

Video from the Wrigley Field crowd surfaced afterward, showing several members of the team having to be held back from going after the umpiring crew.

Manny Machado of the San Diego Padres walks back to the dugout after grounding out in the eighth inning against the Chicago Cubs in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series at Wrigley Field on October 2, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)

San Diego Padres Held Back From Going After Umpires

Soon after the game ended, the umpires walked through the Padres dugout on their way to the Wrigley Field clubhouse. And some of the staff and players, especially Bogaerts, could be seen angrily yelling at the umpires. Some of it seemed to be physically aggressive to the point where the umpires were surprised to see it.

That's about as unusual as it gets. You just never see players or coaches getting that angry with umpires after a game. Though it is reminiscent of a legendary hockey moment.

Again, Reyburn missed the call. With the advent of challenges based on the automated ball and strike system coming to Major League Baseball next season, Bogaerts would have been able to get it overturned immediately. For a team that had World Series hopes after another aggressive trade deadline, it has to be difficult to see your season end, in part, because of a missed call. 

At the same time, that's not an acceptable way to react. And the Padres went 0-8 with runners in scoring position in a winner-take-all playoff game. Their best players, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado, were just 2-22 on the series. Including Luis Arraez, they were 4-33. It's not just Reyburn's fault. Even if they reacted that way.