Overview

• Wednesday's victory secured Chicago's first full-season playoff berth since 2018 and made them the National League's third team to clinch.
• The Cubs hold a multi-game edge for the top wild-card slot, positioning them to host the Padres starting Sept. 30 at Wrigley Field, and a presale lottery for tickets is underway.
• Early home runs by Ian Happ and Moises Ballesteros set the tone, Michael Busch and Justin Turner added runs late, and the bullpen logged six scoreless innings after Matthew Boyd allowed four early.
• Seiya Suzuki returned to the lineup after missing five games with bronchitis.
• Craig Counsell's staff now weighs rotation and bench decisions, with Cade Horton and Shota Imanaga in the Game 1 mix as Kyle Tucker (calf) and closer Daniel Palencia (shoulder) manage injuries.