Chicago Cubs Finally Pop the Champagne: Chicago Clinches First Playoff Berth Since 2020

The Cubs didn’t mess around in this one. They came out swinging in the first inning like they had somewhere important to be – which, let’s be honest, they did. October was calling. Ian Happ and Moises Ballesteros decided to make it a home run derby right off the bat, going back-to-back to help Chicago jump out to a 4-0 lead. Happ has been absolutely torching the Pirates at PNC Park all season, and Wednesday was just another chapter in his Pittsburgh dominance story.

But this is baseball, and nothing’s ever easy. The Pirates clawed back with three runs in the bottom of the first, thanks to a Joey Bart bomb, then tied it up 4-4 in the second. For a moment, Cubs fans probably felt that familiar knot in their stomachs – the one that’s been there since, oh, about 2017.

Matthew Boyd got the start but couldn’t find his command early, lasting just three innings and giving up seven hits. Thankfully, the Cubs’ bullpen – which has been about as reliable as Chicago weather this season – decided to pick the perfect time to lock it down. Aaron Civale, Porter Hodge, Drew Pomeranz, and Taylor Rogers combined for six scoreless innings. Six. Scoreless. Innings. From the Cubs’ bullpen. In a clinching game. Pinch me.

The Sixth Inning Magic

The Cubs put this one away in the sixth, and it was poetry in motion. Dansby Swanson reached on a throwing error (thanks, Pittsburgh), and Michael Busch drove him home with a sacrifice fly to give Chicago the lead for good. Then Happ and Justin Turner got in on the fun, driving home two more runs to open up some breathing room.

Turner, who’s been quietly productive all season, added an insurance run in the eighth because apparently, the Cubs wanted to make sure their first celebration in five years wasn’t going to come down to the final out.

What This Cubs Team Means To Chicago

Manager Craig Counsell, who knows a thing or two about winning (just ask Milwaukee fans), perfectly captured what this moment meant: “You don’t get to do this in regular jobs, where you get to celebrate and throw champagne on each other. You just don’t get to do it, right? So you take advantage of it, have fun with it, enjoy each other and celebrate each other.”

The veteran skipper also pointed to those Opening Day games in Tokyo as a bonding experience that helped unify this team. Who would’ve thought a trip halfway around the world would pay dividends in September?

What’s Next For the Cubs

At 88-64, the Cubs aren’t just happy to be here – they’re built for a run. They sit comfortably in the top National League Wild Card spot with a five-game cushion over San Diego, and they’re still within striking distance of the Brewers in the NL Central, trailing by just 4.5 games with 10 to play.

This team has the second-best run differential in baseball at +133 (behind only Milwaukee), which tells you they’ve been legitimately dominant, not just lucky. The pitching staff, anchored by rookie sensation Cade Horton, veterans Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon, and now featuring a suddenly reliable bullpen, looks capable of matching up with anyone come October.

The Cubs head to Cincinnati next for a four-game series that could effectively eliminate the Reds from Wild Card contention. It’s a chance to keep building momentum while the champagne hangover wears off. Nico Hoerner summed it up perfectly: “Getting to celebrate like this is a really special thing. It’s obviously not our ultimate goal, but it’s still a huge milestone along the way.”

The ultimate goal, of course, remains that elusive World Series title – their first since 2016 when they broke the curse. But for now, Cubs fans can exhale, crack open a cold one, and start making plans for October. After five years in the wilderness, that’s celebration enough.