Any hopes of a deep October run come down to Thursday.

The Chicago Cubs face a win-or-go-home Game 3 against the San Diego Padres after a 3-0 loss tied the best-of-three National League wild-card series Wednesday in front of 41,083 fans who were left waiting for a moment to erupt and energize Wrigley Field.

The Cubs’ lack of offense again created a slim margin for error. They didn’t have much of an answer for Padres starter Dylan Cease or San Diego’s notoriously tough bullpen. On a quiet day for the lineup that produced just four hits — one after the fourth inning — manager Craig Counsell’s pitching decisions come under scrutiny.

Veteran reliever Andrew Kittredge served as the opener for the Cubs and avoided a potentially disastrous first inning after surrendering back-to-back singles

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