Chicago’s long-awaited return to October arrived in undeniable fashion. On Sat., Sept. 27, Michael Busch launched two homers and racked up four RBIs, fueling a 7–3 win over St. Louis that officially locked up the top National League Wild Card and ensured the Cubs will host their Wild Card series on their home turf. This milestone followed their earlier clinch of a postseason berth, achieved with an 8–4 victory over the Pirates on September 17.

This postseason drive has been years in the making. Chicago had not reached the playoffs in a full-season campaign since 2018, and they last appeared in any sort of October baseball during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Their magic number to clinch dropped to one thanks to clutch pitching and timely hitting late in the season. In Pittsburgh,

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