What we learned at Monday’s workout at Wrigley FIeld before the wild-card series opener between the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres.

None of that matters now. The Cubs are back and they are not going to be an easy out as they showed the Padres today. The Padres played well, but they got beat. The Cubs need one more win to earn an all expenses paid trip to Milwaukee. Whew. If that isn’t the worst lottery prize I’ve ever heard of.

For the first time in five years, the Cubs made their return to the postseason against the Padres as Game 1 kicked off on Tuesday.

The Cubs are set to face Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta on Tuesday. He posted a 2.87 ERA in 31 regular-season games this year, including two starts against the Cubs. In the first, the Cubs tagged him for three runs in three innings. But he held them at bay in the next meeting, limiting the Cubs to one run and four hits through six innings.