CHICAGO (AP) — Seiya Suzuki watched the playoffs on TV after each of his first three years in the majors. It was a frustrating experience for the Japanese slugger.

Tuesday was much, much better.

Suzuki hit a crucial home run to help the Chicago Cubs to a 3-1 victory over the San Diego Padres in Game 1 of their NL Wild Card Series. The usually reserved Suzuki pumped his right arm and yelled in celebration as he made his way to first base after his big swing.

“This year with this team, these teammates, we’ve battled for 162 games,” he said through a translator. “The difficult times and the good times, everything included. It felt great. ... I’m just kind of looking forward to keep on playing, keep on grinding it out with my teammates and hopefully play as long as we can together.”

Chicag

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