The Cubs secured their October seat the hard way Thursday at Wrigley Field, beating the Marlins 2-1 in their final regular-season home game and locking up a second straight postseason appearance. Chicago arrived expecting to play meaningful baseball in October; the injuries, detours and late-season pressure made the route anything but routine.
Thursday’s score
| Team | R | Key scoring |
|---|---|---|
| Marlins | 1 | Jakob Marsee RBI single, third inning |
| Cubs | 2 | Seiya Suzuki solo home run, fifth; Nico Hoerner RBI single, sixth |
Matthew Boyd, Chicago’s Opening Day starter, delivered seven innings in a game that carried the edge of a must-win afternoon. Miami’s only breakthrough came in the third, when Marsee singled home a run. Boyd kept it there, giving the Cubs enough room to let their lineup find the answer.
Suzuki supplied the equalizer in the fifth, taking Marlins reliever Jack Ralston deep for a solo shot. An inning later, Ian Happ turned the game with a drive into the right-center-field gap for a triple. Hoerner followed with the single that brought Happ home and put Chicago ahead for good.
It was a fitting sequence for a clincher. Happ is the longest-serving Cub on the roster and could be nearing the end of his time with the only organization he has played for. His sixth-inning bolt gave the afternoon its most personal moment.
Pete Crow-Armstrong had already supplied another. He stole second base in the first inning, then heard the Wrigley crowd chant “M-V-P!” after becoming only the seventh player in Major League history to reach the 40-homer, 40-steal club.
The victory means Chicago will head to Boston for its final three regular-season games with a playoff berth already secured. The remaining question is which of the three National League Wild Card positions the Cubs will claim, a finish that will determine their first-round road destination.
The series at Fenway Park begins with a Friday doubleheader. Sunday’s game has been moved earlier with a major storm expected in the region, though the full weekend schedule could still be affected if the weather arrives as forecast.
Chicago has now reached the postseason in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2015 through 2018. That earlier stretch produced three National League Championship Series appearances and the 2016 World Series title, ending a 108-year championship wait. Ten years after that title run, these Cubs have given themselves a chance to make the anniversary season matter beyond September.
