Inside The Cubs

Cubs Clinch Home Field Advantage In Wild Card Matchup Against Padres

The Chicago Cubs took care of business against the Saint Louis Cardinals.
Maddy Dickens|
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The offensive showing that the Chicago Cubs have shown in their last two series has been spectacular. In their last five games they have yet to score less than five runs which includes both of their wins against the Saint Louis Cardinals.

And with the Cubs' win today they secured home field advantage in their first postseason matchup with the San Diego Padres.

The Cubs now sit at 91-70 going into their final matchup as they look for a series sweep to keep the momentum going as the stakes increasingly grow when Tuesday rolls around. The team has had sluggish offensive showcases this summer, but not right now. They are getting hot at just right the time.

The Highs of the Cardinals Series Victory

Tucker celebrating with Hoerner by high fiving with both hands in a blue and white pinstripe unifor
Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

It seems fitting that the Cubs would secure playing at Wrigley Field to start the postseason while playing at Wrigley Field. The team has put up 19 runs in the first two games which is the most in a two-game span since the middle of May when they put up 20 runs against the Chicago White Sox.

The Cubs were missing Kyle Tucker with a calf strain since the beginning of the month, but he was activated back to the roster in the opener yesterday to suit up at designated hitter. He went 1 for 4 with two runs and a drawn walk in his return to the majors as the Cubs went on to win the game 12-1.

MORE: Cubs Suffer Major Blow With Latest Cade Horton Injury Update

Seeing Tucker's name back in the lineup is a breath of fresh air for well, everyone, but it is Michael Busch who has really stepped up lately. In the opener he went 2 for 3 with a 400 foot bomb, 2 RBI, a double, and a drawn walk. This offensive showing continued on in game two.

The first baseman was the lead off man for today's game and what did he do? Hit a home run. The game was all tied up at 1-1 going into the fifth inning as Busch was still the only run on the board. What did he do? Hit a two-run homer. He could not be stopped as he finished the day perfect with a triple and a double to compliment both home runs.

Chicago took a big hit to their pitching staff today with their game one playoff ace, Cade Horton, going on the 15-day injured list. The team will need to get through the wild card without him if anybody hopes to see him to take the mound this postseason.

The Cubs will be looking to keep throwing punches as play heads into October and the Cardinals series has been a great boost to their confidence.

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Maddy Dickens
MADDY DICKENS

Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.

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