Player of the gameMatthew BoydCHC7.0ip 5h 1er 2bb 3k
The Cubs fully expected to be back on the October stage this fall, but the team did not anticipate the kind of daunting, winding road it took to reach the clinching moment on Thursday afternoon at Wrigley Field. No team is immune to trials and setbacks, but the 2026 Cubs were battered with injuries and obstacles that tested the group and created some drama when it came to finally punching the ticket to the postseason. But in the final home game of the regular season, the North Siders got it done with a 2-1 victory over Miami that featured some fitting heroes. There was Pete Crow-Armstrong, stealing second base in the first inning and soaking in the “M-V-P!” chants after becoming the seventh player in MLB history to join the 40-40 Club. There was veteran Matthew Boyd, the Opening Day starter, fashioning a gem in a game that had a must-win feel. And there was Ian Happ, the longest-tenured player on the roster, coming through with a triple in the sixth to spark the winning rally in what might be one of his final games with the only ballclub he has known.
