Cubs clinch playoff berth 2-1; Crow-Armstrong joins 40-40
Matthew Boyd and a sixth-inning Nico Hoerner RBI single lifted Chicago past Miami 2-1 at Wrigley, clinching an NL wild-card berth for a second straight year after two nights of Marlins delays; Pete Crow-Armstrong stole his 40th base to become the first Cub in the 40-40 club, AP via CBS Sports and ESPN reported.
Updated ~5:25 p.m. ET: The Chicago Cubs clinched a National League wild-card berth Thursday with a 2-1 home win over the Miami Marlins, ending a two-night clinch wait after Wednesday’s 3-2 loss, AP coverage carried on CBS Sports and confirmed on ESPN’s final box.
Seiya Suzuki tied the game with a solo homer in the fifth; Ian Happ tripled to open the sixth and scored on Nico Hoerner’s single. Matthew Boyd (10-5) allowed one run over seven innings, and Ryan Zeferjahn finished a five-hitter for his seventh save. Jakob Marsee’s third-inning RBI single had given Miami the early lead.
In the first inning, Pete Crow-Armstrong walked and stole second for his 40th steal to go with a major-league-leading 45 home runs — the seventh 40-40 season in MLB history and the first by a Cub, CBS Chicago and CBS Sports reported.
Accounts agree Chicago locked one of the NL’s three wild-card spots (88-71) and that Crow-Armstrong’s milestone landed before the clinching outs; they still diverge on final wild-card seeding versus San Diego and Philadelphia as the regular season closes.
This card does not invent a Division Series path or MVP award — only the multi-outlet clinch and 40-40 facts.
Where outlets agree AP/CBS Sports and ESPN/StatMuse agree Chicago beat Miami 2-1 at Wrigley to clinch an NL wild-card berth; CBS Chicago and CBS Sports agree Crow-Armstrong’s first-inning steal completed a 45-HR / 40-SB season.
Where they differ Wild-card seeding and first-round site still depend on remaining games vs. Padres/Phillies; MVP chatter is speculative beyond the 40-40 milestone.