Chicago Cubs Officially Clinch First Postseason Berth in Five Years

How the Cubs got things started

In the top of the first inning, Chicago scored four runs to get things off to a good start. Home runs from Ian Happ and Moises Ballesteros capped off the explosive start to the game.

Pittsburgh responded quick with three runs of their own in the bottom of the first inning and one more in the second. Pirates catcher Joey Bart had a two-run homer to match Happ's blast.

After three innings, Cubs starting pitcher Matthew Boyd gave up seven hits in a short inning. Reliever Aaron Civale, one of Chicago's late-season acquisitions, recorded the win. In the past, the Cubs' bullpen has blown some games, but in this one, they looked sharp, giving up zero runs over six innings.

The next three innings were quiet offensively for both the Cubs and the Pirates. That was until the sixth inning when Chicago added three more runs. Michael Busch hit a sacrifice fly to right field, and Dansby Swanson scored, giving the Cubs the lead again, 5-4.

That was all they needed, but Happ and outfielder Justin Turner had other ideas. Happ added third RBI in the sixth inning. Turner had a pair of RBI singles in the sixth and eighth inning to give Chicago the 8-4 victory.

“The celebration part, it’s just us having fun together and having some fun together," said Counsell after the win on Wednesday. “What’s wrong with that? It is celebrating that you have accomplished something and it’s celebrating us being together. That’s what it’s about, that’s what you celebrate. It’s an appreciation for each other and the work that we’ve done to get to this point — that’s what the celebration is about.

With the win, not only did the Cubs sweep the three-game series on the road against the Pirates, but they also are guaranteed to play in the playoffs. Behind strong pitching performances from rookie Cade Horton, as well as veterans Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon, the 2016 World Series champions looked primed for another deep postseason run.

The bats were hot for the Cubs' offense, too. Chicago has a run differential of +133, which is second-best in the majors behind only the Brewers. Next is a four-game series away from Wrigley Field against another NL Central opponent, the Cincinnati Reds. The Cubs have a strong chance to put the Red out of the running for a wild card spot with another sweep.