Cubs Week in Review: North Siders Win First Playoff Series Since 2017

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Image courtesy of © David Banks-Imagn Images

Draped in red, white, and Cubby blue, with the neighborhood abuzz with postseason festivities and tales of old, Wrigleyville was rocking at the outset of their playoff tilt with the San Diego Padres. And they deserved to be, with the Cubs proving that they belong as one of the remaining squads in the playoffs. Alas, an early look at the league-best Milwaukee Brewers demonstrated that even though the Cubs won the World Series in 2016, they haven't yet transformed from the lovable losers to the NL Central hegemon a Chicago team really ought to be. This could be one of the last times I have current baseball to tell you about in 2025—but then again, maybe it won't be.

On a gorgeous, sun-drenched afternoon at Wrigley, the Chicago Cubs got their Wild Card Series started against the San Diego Padres. The matchup served as sort of a backdoor revenge contest for the Cubs and their infamous 1984 playoff downfall to the Friars. Game 1 pitted Matthew Boyd against Nick Pivetta. The Cubs lefty, along with the rest of the pitching staff, got the club into the swing of things in style. A 4 1/3-inning performance from Boyd impressed, but the real star of the day was Johnny Bullpen; no Padres batter reached base after Boyd departed. In the bottom of the fifth inning, back-to-back jacks from Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly sent the home crowd into a state of delirium. It was an eye-opening start to the playoff proceedings, as a 3-1 victory brought the North Siders just one win away from their date with Milwaukee. 

Unfortunately, in Game 2, they did not find it. Former Cubs prospect Dylan Cease and a magnificent Padres bullpen blanked the home nine 3-0, forcing a decisive Game 3 the following evening. The shutout loss found the Cubs frustrated in their efforts to get traffic on the bases, leaving just five on base. Shota Imanaga's penchant for giving up homers lately continued in this one, though he performed valiantly over four full innings.

Being at Wrigley Field for a playoff victory is better than the second-best live experience you can think of right now, and the rock star at the center of the action is Pete Crow-Armstrong. The best version of this team can't exist without him at his best, and his 3-for-4 day at the plate in his squad's dramatic series-clinching 3-1 victory announced that he is, indeed, back. At the most important inflection point of the season, the Cubs' pitching staff locked the door on the Pads' powerful lineup. The grossly underrated Jameson Taillon led the way with poise and focus, earning his club the right to face off with the hated Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS. 

Familiarity breeds contempt, but the bad vibes emanating from American Family Field in the first game of the National League Division Series bordered on absurd. Proving there is no rust for the wicked, the Crew hammered starter Matthew Boyd and chased him in the first inning. Though the Cubs hurler was pitching on short rest, the offensive onslaught from the Brewers' whole lineup, outside of a being a stern message from Pat Murphy's squad, was cause for panic on the North Side of Chicago. If the visitors are to draw even in this series and even advance, they're going to have to do just about everything differently from this point on. 

This is no time to back down. The Cubs are a good enough team to go very far in this postseason. Moments like Nico Hoerner's stunning error in Milwaukee simply can't become what defines this campaign. This club has more playoff baseball to come. It has the right group of players, the right chemistry, and the right attitude. Now, it just has to prove it can topple another team that seems to have all that—and a bit more.

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